Research Guides: Primary Sources: Pre-19th Century

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

A primary source is a document or physical object written/created during the moment in time you are interested in researching. A primary source provides information directly from the source (a book written by Adolf Hitler). A secondary source provides information indirectly (a historian's recounting of research done on Hitler).

American University gives an excellent guide to determine the differences between primary and secondary sources here.

19th & 20th Century Periodicals - Roanoke College Archives & Special Collections
An index of 19th & 20th century periodicals located in the College Archives. Topics covered: Agriculture, American Civil War, American History, Ancient History, Architecture, Art, Black History, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Christianity, Civil Rights, Earth Science, Economics, Education History, Engineering, European History, Fashion, Food History, History, Horticulture, International Politics, Journalism, Literary Reviews, Literature, Math, Political Commentary, Politics, Religion, Roanoke College, Satire, Science, Technology, Theater and Drama, Theology, World History, Women’s History

Primary Source Databases Through the 18th Century

Accessible Archives (History Commons) This link opens in a new window
As a module within the History Commons Platform, Accessible Archives includes: African American Newspapers, African American Newspapers in the South, American County Histories, American Inventor, Anatomy of Protest in America, Colonial Newspapers, Frank Leslie’s Weekly, Godey’s Lady’s Book, and more.
Ancestry.com (Library Edition) -- On Campus Access Only This link opens in a new window
"Ancestry Library Edition is a new genealogy research tool created for the library market and provides patrons instant access to a wide range of unique resources for genealogical and historical research. With more than 1.5 billion names in over 4,000 databases, Ancestry Library Edition includes records from the United States Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists and more! These collections are continuously expanding, with new content added every business day." -- Ancestry.com is only available on campus.
Hathitrust This link opens in a new window
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.

National Archives (UK)
Hosts access to millions of historical documents created and collected by United Kingdom central government departments and major courts of law … Certain records, such as birth, marriage and death certificates are not included in the archives. Many of the popular items of the archives have been digitized. Examples of materials available online include wills (1384-1858), Cabinet papers (1915-1982), British Army medal index cards (1914-1920), and Irish maps (c1558-c1610).

Slavery And Anti-Slavery Part 1 : Debates This link opens in a new window
Includes collections on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions.
Slavery And Anti-Slavery Part 2: Slave Trade This link opens in a new window
Includes collections on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions.
Slavery And Anti-Slavery Part 3: Institution This link opens in a new window
includes collections on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions.
Slavery And Anti-Slavery Part 4: Emancipation This link opens in a new window
includes collections on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions.
Times Digital Archive 1785-Onwards This link opens in a new window
"... full-text facsimile of more than 200 years of The Times [London], one of the most highly regarded resources for eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century news coverage."

Instruction & Research Services Librarian

Sarah Beth White

Subjects: History, Honors, INQ 100s, Library Instruction, Political Science, Primary Sources, Public Affairs