Research Guides: History: United States: Find Primary Sources

Online Collections

American Journeys
A collection of eyewitness accounts of early American exploration and settlement, from sagas of Vikings in Canada to diaries of mountain men in the Rockies.
American Presidency Project
An impressive collection of presidential documents, including the text of press conferences, executive orders, state of the union addresses, and the Public Papers of the Presidents.
American Slave Narratives
Read the complete interviews of thousands of former slaves, collected here; they are browseable and searchable by topic, names, place, or year of birth.
Cold War International History Project
This digital collection contains a Virtual Archive of primary documents, organized thematically into collections such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and US-Soviet Relations. It includes memoranda, letters, and government reports.
Documenting the American South
A collection of digitized primary materials that offer insight into Southern U.S. history and culture, including oral histories, letters, slave narratives, and government documents.
Foreign Relations of the United States
This series is the the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity.
Foreign Relations of the United States (1861-1960)
This series is the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions that have been declassified and edited for publication.
Immigration to the United States 1789-1930
This digital collection portrays the immigrant experience through a large number of online books, photographs, diaries, and journals.
Internet Modern History Sourcebook
Primary source texts arranged by country, period and topic for easy browsing. Use the left-side menu to find collections on subjects like "American Independence" and "US Power".
Letters of Delegates to Congress: 1774-1789
A 25-volume, searchable and browseable collection of letters from all the delegates to the first Congress of the United States.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
The Library of Congress has digitized dozens of their primary source collections from their archives, making them available to the public to see high definition scans of official documents, letters, music scores, photographs, artwork, and more.
Making of America (Cornell)
This digital library created by folks at Cornell University provide access to thousands of books and journal articles related to American social history, published during the 19th century.
National Security Archive
Access online versions of declassified U.S. government documents grouped by subjects such as nuclear history, China and East Asia, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Roosevelt Digitized Collections
FRANKLIN connects you to more than 800,000 pages of archival documents, 2,500 historical photographs, and hundreds of archival finding aids and collection descriptions. Now, many of the most important historic materials of the twentieth century -- primary source documentation of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s experiences leading the nation through the Great Depression and World War II -- are online for anyone to access.
Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection
Pamphlets relating to the anti-slavery struggle in the United States. Included are sermons, local newsletters, poetry anthologies, Freedmen's testimonies, and broadsides.
University of Michigan Digital Collections
This digital library created by folks at the University of Michigan provide access to thousands of books and journal articles related to American history. Check to make sure the collection you're interested in is open to the public (rather than restricted).
Virtual Jamestown
A research and learning website about the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Primary source material includes laws, censuses, first-hand accounts, and letters from colonists.
Virtual Vietnam Archive
Thousands of documents pertaining to the Vietnam War. Contents include photographs, letters, and oral histories, with an emphasis on personal rather than governmental documents.
Women Working 1800-1930
A collection of manuscripts, books, pamphlets, and photographs that shed light on women's role in the workforce during this period of American history.
World War I Document Archive
An online repository of primary-source documents from the Great War. It includes treaties, letters, memoranda, diaries, books, and commentaries.
World War II Resources
Primary source materials, including the Pearl Harbor attack hearings, speeches by Roosevelt, and diplomatic documents from Britain and France.

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Historical Statistics

Statistical Abstract of the U.S. [PROQUEST] This link opens in a new window
Access the Statistical Abstract of the United States (1970 - present). Search one volume at a time or multiple volumes simultaneously. Charts can be downloaded into Excel for further data manipulation.
The ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political and economic conditions of the United States from 1970 to today.
StatsAmerica This link opens in a new window
Contains data for economic developers to use in developing metrics, grant writing, and strategic planning.
Historical Statistics of the United States [CAMBRIDGE] This link opens in a new window
Compendium that includes thousands of data series related to health, crime, migration, and the economy.

History: United States: Find Primary Sources

What are they?

Online Collections

Ask a Librarian!

Contact the Reference Desk

Reference Desk Hours

Historical Statistics