(Use with pp. 66-67.)
Looking for information on primary sources? Searching for documents, photographs, artifacts, and other materials? The Internet can help you find and use primary sources for your projects.
The U.S. Historical Documents Archive
Looking for primary source documents from U.S. history? Look here for online texts of publilc government documents, treaties, significant speeches, and important laws.
For an interesting chronology of U.S. historical documents, work with a partner to create a timeline of the files in the collection, with a brief summary of the significance of each document.
Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet
This electronic database of legialative-related information is a great place to find the texts of current and past Congressional legislation. You can also find the texts of speeches made on the House and Senate floor in the Congressional Record and historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and early Congressional records.
The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin
holds more than 230,000 maps, many of which have
been scanned and made available at this site. This extensive online collection
includes hundreds of high quality, copyright-free maps of nations and cities, as well as
many historical maps. A special "Electronic Maps of Current Interest" section highlights
maps of places in the news. This site also hosts a variety of links to
other map-related sites.
The History Channel: Speeches
Listen to the primary source recordings of many great speeches of the twentieth century at this site from the History Channel. The site offers a speech of the day, as well as an archive of speeches by politicians, protesters, athletes, celebrities, and others. You will need the RealAudio Plug-in to listen.
Archiving Early America
Learn about life in early America through primary source newspaper and magazine articles and maps, as well as historic chronologies and biographies of famous people.
The Digital Classroom
Learn how to use primary sources in your projects and research at this site from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). T
he site offers projects and activities, primary source materials, lesson plans, lists of NARA publications, research tips for students, and training information for teachers.
NARA also uses primary sources to provides engaging narratives on different topics.
Click Research and National History Day for activities and ideas on how to find, use, and cite primary sources in your work.
Check out this digital archive of documents, photographs, prints, maps, motion pictures, and sound recordings from the Library of Congress.
This large collection of primary and other sources presents the rich fabric of American culture and history through feature stories and a searchable database.
Come here to research your next project, or just to browse.
How have the historians at the Library of Congress used primary sources to tell different stories? Choose a story featured on the site and identify the primary sources used. Think about how each primary source adds to or changes the story being told.