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HIS410 U.S. History, Early National Period, 1783-1830: Primary Sources

Types of Primary Sources

  • Autobiography
  • Diaries/Journals
  • Letters
  • Speeches
  • Government Documents
  • Magazines/Newspaper Articles
  • Manuscripts
  • Treaties

Primary Sources in Reference Books

Primary Sources in Reference Databases

Internet Primary Sources

The Avalon Project: The American Constitution--A Documentary Record – Yale Law School – Documents on the roots of the Constitution, the Constitutional Convention, and the formation of the government.

Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention – Library of Congress – Documents relating to the work of the Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution; includes extracts from the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Louisiana: European Exploration and the Louisana Purchase – Library of Congress – A collection of primary sources, including many maps, that focus on the region covered in the Louisiana Purchase.

The Thomas Jefferson Digital Archive – University of Virginia – Letters written by or to Thomas Jefferson, as well as compilation of quotations from Jefferson's writings.