Primary Sources

"Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts that retell, analyze, or interpret events, usually at a distance of time or place."

—Library of Congress Teacher's Page

The Library of Congress Teacher's page provides tools and guides for using primary sources in research, focusing of the unique materials in the Library's digital collections.

Getting Started with Primary Sources
This section of the Teacher's website provides guidance on using online Library of Congress primary sources.

Browse unique primary sources at the Library of Congress by theme or format using the links below:

Specialists at the Library of Congress have created thematic approaches for viewing the digital collections:

Born into Slavery: Narratives from the Federal Writers Project
More than 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of formerly enslaved people. These narratives were collected in the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project (FWP) of the Works Progress Administration, later renamed Work Projects Administration (WPA).
Chemistry & Physics Experiments
Links to external organizations' websites with sample science fair projects.
Civil Rights History Project
Oral history interviews with relevance to the Civil Rights Movement, a collaboration between the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Guides to American Government
American law guides
National Jukebox
Historical sound recordings from the Victor Talking Machine Company between 1901 and 1925.
Newspaper Articles by Topic
Selected pages from America's historic newspapers from 1789-1963, organized by topic
Primary Documents in American History by Topic
Research guide to selected documents organized by topic.
Primary Sources by State from the American Folklife Center
Research guides by state that include oral history interviews, images, and more.
Primary Source Sets
Selected sets of primary sources related to famous figures and turning points in American history. This page includes primary sources organized by state.
Science & Technology Research Guides
The research guides link to both primary and secondary sources, recommended by librarians.
Sources on Famous People
Research guides to individuals in the Library's collections from Abraham Lincoln to Marie Curie to Wyatt Earp and beyond. Guides include links to both primary and secondary sources.
Veterans Oral Histories by Theme
The Veterans History Project at the Library has a searchable database of oral histories in the collection. This link provides suggestions for students for recording oral histories and for finding oral histories by theme under "Experiencing War."

The following links provide special browses of the Library's digital collections by format:

The following specialized catalogs provide direct access to special groups of library materials:

Chronicling America
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1789-1963. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog
The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) contains catalog records and digital images representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs Division.
American Archive of Public Broadcasting
A searchable site of significant public television and radio programs of the past 60 years. This is a collaboration between the Library of Congress and WGBH in Boston.

Using the Library of Congress Online: A Guide for Middle and High School Students

Primary Sources