Finding Primary Sources - HU 3900: Inquiry Seminar - Intersectional Feminism - Prof. Kris Boudreau - Guides at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Primary Sources for History

Primary sources are materials that provide firsthand testimony to a subject under investigation. Researchers often use these firsthand accounts of events or experiences to understand life from the viewpoint of the people they are studying. Primary sources include letters, diaries, photographs, newspaper articles, and pamphlets. Primary sources also include writings and recordings by witnesses who experienced the events or conditions being documented. For example, interviews, oral histories, autobiographies, and memoirs are primary sources. Primary sources also include art such as poems, songs, novels, videos, and paintings that portray experiences relevant to your research topic.

Primary Sources: Library Databases

New York Times (Historical): 1851-2021 This link opens in a new window
Search full text and images 1851-2021 including news, illustrations, editorials, and advertisements.
Coverage: 1851-2021
Full Text: Yes
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Making of America This link opens in a new window
Making of America (MoA) is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. The collection currently contains approximately 10,000 books and 50,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints.
Coverage: Varies
Full Text: Yes
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JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Online archive of eBooks and complete backruns of scholarly journals in a variety of academic fields.
Coverage: 1800s-
Full Text: Yes
Titles Included | Search Tips
Early English Books Online (EEBO) This link opens in a new window
Early English Books Online (EEBO) is the definitive online collection of early printed works in English. With over 125,000 titles from before 1700, the EEBO contains virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700.
Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window
Data, charts, and statistics on topics such as population, work and welfare, economy, governance and international relations.
Coverage: 1600-
Full Text: Yes

Primary Sources: Examples of Helpful Websites

To find primary sources via Google, try adding keywords like journals, papers, letters, documents, primary sources, or documentary history to your search terms. Primary sources can often be found on library, museum, and government websites.

Primary source collections related to intersectional feminism:

Black Women Oral History Project Interviews, 1976–1981
Interviews with 72 African American women in fields such as education, government, the arts, business, medicine, law, and social work.
Chicago Women's Liberation Union: Herstory Project: Classic Feminist Writings
Articles, pamphlets, manifestos, and stories produced by the women's liberation movement of the 1960s and 70s.
Independent Voices: An Open Access Collection of Alternative Press Newspapers
Independent Voices is an open access digital collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals, drawn from the special collections of participating libraries. These periodicals were produced by feminists, dissident GIs, campus radicals, Native Americans, anti-war activists, Black Power advocates, Hispanics, LGBT activists, the extreme right-wing press and alternative literary magazines during the latter half of the 20th century.
Women's Liberation Movement Print Culture
Manifestos, speeches, essays, and other materials documenting various aspects of the Women's Movement in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.
Black American Feminisms
A multidisciplinary bibliography, compiled by Sherri L. Barnes. Includes autobiographies, memoirs, personal narratives, interviews, and speeches.
FRAmes on GENder
Core feminist texts from the second wave of feminism in Europe have been made available to researchers in an easily accessible online database. This project brings together books, articles and pamphlets that were influential in the development of feminist ideas in 29 countries during the second half of the 20th century.
Jewish Women's Archive: The Feminist Revolution
In this online exhibit, you will discover the powerful contributions of Jewish feminists through their own words and historical artifacts.
The Miss America Protest: 1968
Photos and links to National Public Radio interviews with participants (Redstockings website).
Smith College: Voices of Feminism Oral History Project
The Voices of Feminism Oral History Project documents the persistence and diversity of organizing for women in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century. Narrators include labor, peace, and anti-racism activists; artists and writers; lesbian rights advocates; grassroots anti-violence and anti-poverty organizers; and women of color reproductive justice leaders. Interviews average 5-6 hours and cover childhood, personal life, and political work.
Smith College: Agents of Social Change: Online Exhibit: New Resources on 20th Century Women's Activism
This exhibit marks the opening for research of eight collections of 20th century women activists: the papers of Constance Baker Motley, Dorothy Kenyon, Mary Kaufman, Frances Fox Piven, Jessie Lloyd O'Connor, and Gloria Steinem and the records of the Women's Action Alliance and the National Congress of Neighborhood Women. These new resources highlight women's part in the multiple struggles for social change that span the century including labor, socialism, civil liberties, peace, racial justice, urban reform, welfare rights, and women's rights. They illuminate connections between reform movements, as well as the interplay of race, ethnicity, class, and gender within them.

Broad collections of primary sources:

1940 US Census
The 1940 census records were released by the US National Archives April 2, 2012, and brought online through a partnership with Archives.com. This website allows you full access to the 1940 census images, in addition to 1940 census maps and descriptions.
Ad*Access
How are various technologies advertised to the American Public? For example, search the word "radio." (Duke University Libraries)
Boston Public Library: Historical Newspapers
For access to Boston Public Library e-resources, you need a Boston Public Library card. If you don't already have a Boston Public Library card, you can register for an eCard online: https://www.bpl.org/ecard/. Residents of Massachusetts and Massachusetts students are eligible for BPL e-cards.
Boston Public Library: History and Political Science
For access to Boston Public Library e-resources, you need a Boston Public Library card. If you don't already have a Boston Public Library card, you can register for an eCard online: https://www.bpl.org/ecard/. Residents of Massachusetts and Massachusetts students are eligible for BPL e-cards.
Digital Commonwealth
Explore historical collections from libraries, museums, and archives across Massachusetts.
Digital Public Library of America
Discover over 29 million images, texts, videos, and sounds from across the United States.
govinfo
Find US government documents, such as bills, laws, judicial publications, and congressional proceedings.
New York Public Library Digital Collections
Explore 911,342 items digitized from The New York Public Library's collections. This site is a living database with new materials added every day, featuring prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more.
Primary Documents in American History
Library of Congress