Primary Sources Research

Links to official Presidential libraries by the United States Archives. This provides historical documents, speeches and other multimedia resources.

"The Lincoln Institute concentrates on providing support and assistance to scholars and groups involved in the study of the life of America's 16th President and the impact he had."

"Provides access to information on American history and government, archival administration, information management, and government documents to NARA staff, archives and records management professionals, and the general public."

The Gilder Lehrman Collection is a unique archive of primary sources in American history. Owned by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and located at the New-York Historical Society, the Collection includes more than 60,000 letters, diaries, maps, pamphlets, printed books, newspapers, photographs, and ephemera that document the political, social, and economic history of the United States. An extensive resource for educators, students, and scholars, the Collection ranges from 1493 through the twentieth century and is widely considered one of the nation’s great archives in the Revolutionary, early national, antebellum, and Civil War periods.

The National Archives is the nation's record keeper. "We hold billions of primary sources. Many can be incorporated into NHD research and projects. Use the resources on this page to get started. Contact us if you need help."

"The objective of this classroom exercise is to introduce students to the use, comparison, and evaluation of primary source documents. Students will learn what a primary source and first person testimony are, and the difference between primary and secondary sources. They will also learn about history from individuals, and compare how different primary and secondary sources teach about the same historic event in different ways. This exercise will also introduce students to the wealth of primary sources available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives and through the World Wide Web."