Where do you start in your search for primary sources?
Books in the catalog
For many famous people, historic events, etc., primary sources are published in books or journals. You might find a book of letters by a person you're researching, an autobiography, or newspaper articles from that time period. You can look for the original text of treaties, speeches, or legislation related to your topic. Sometimes such volumes of primary sources even contain facsimiles (that is, photographic reproductions) of the original documents! For more ideas and strategies for finding primary resources, visit the library guide "The Historian's Craft."
There are also a few tricks for finding these things in the catalog.
The following are sample search links that you can tailor to your needs by adding keywords for your topic.
When you find a good list of books, you can click on the book's title. At the bottom of the page, you might find a perfect subject heading. Subject headings are assigned by librarians to all of the books in the library and group similar books together.
Here are some examples of subject headings for primary sources:
United States History 1919 1933 Sources
United States Social Life And Customs 1918 1945 Sources
United States Politics And Government 1933 1945 Sources
Roosevelt Franklin D Franklin Delano 1882 1945 Correspondence
Depressions 1929 United States Biography
The database HEIN Online includes primary sources such as congressional testimony, treaties, presidential papers, constitutions (U.S. and world government constitutions), as well as the Pentagon Papers, Slavery in America, and Foreign Relations of the US. Nexis Uni provides access to domestic and international news sources and legal documents for Federal and State court cases. Historical newspapers and the Historical New York Times share news and opinions, advertisements, and more from different time periods.