LibGuides: HIS410 U.S. History, Colonial Era: 1607-1763: Primary Sources

Types of Primary Sources

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

Primary Sources in Reference Books

America's Founding Charters
Call Number: R 342.73 A5123
Annals of America
Call Number: R 973 A613 2003
Colonial America to 1763
Call Number: R 973.2 P9862 c
See "A Documentary Sampler"
Greenwood Library of American War Reporting
Call Number: R 973 G8165
Jamestown Colony
Call Number: R 973.21 G8725
See "Selected Writings"
100 Key Documents in American Democracy
Call Number: R 973 O583

Primary Sources in Databases

History Database Center
Type a word or phrase in the search box. Click Go. From the results page, select the "Primary Sources" tab to view the documents.

Issues & Controversies in American History This link opens in a new window
Builds a deeper understanding of how historical events have shaped our nation by exploring the key players and the battles they fought.

Salem History
Type a word or phrase in the search box. Click Search Now. The results will appear in the box on the right. Select the "Primary Sources" tab to view the documents.

Sources In US History: Slavery in America This link opens in a new window
Primary source documents relating to slavery in America.
Primary source documents relating to slavery in America.

Internet Primary Sources

Early Americas Digital Archive – University of Maryland – A collection of electronic texts and links to texts originally written in or about the Americas from 1492 to approximately 1820.

The Plymouth Colony Archive Project – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – A collection of searchable texts that focuses on Plymouth from 1620 to 1691: includes court records, colony laws, journals, memoirs, and wills.

Religion and the Founding of the American Republic – Library of Congress – A mix of images, primary text, and background information on the role of religion in the European settlements of America.

Salem Witch Trials – University of Virginia – A documentary archive of the Salem witch trials that features court records, personal letters, and maps of the area.

Virtual Jamestown – Virginia Polytechnic Institute & University of Virginia – An exploration of the Jamestown settlement through court records, public records, first-hand accounts, and newspaper advertisements andn articles.