Spanish Conquest of the Americas: LAS/HIST/ANTH 2522

Introduction: What are Primary Sources?

What are Primary Sources?

"Primary sources provide firsthand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic or question under investigation."

- Source: Yale University. http://primarysources.yale.edu/

The definition of a primary sources varies by discipline, and includes historical letters and diaries, government documents, works of art and literature, data from a scientific experiment, findings from an archeological dig, and oral history recordings to name just a few examples. It is content which has not been analyzed or interpreted by scholars or researchers.

See this chart from Yale University for more examples of primary sources by academic discipline.

Primary Source Databases

The databases listed below contain primary source material and some secondary source essays and contextual information.

Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America This link opens in a new window
Indigenous Histories and Cultures includes manuscripts, artwork, rare printed books, photographs, newspapers, original documents, maps, and travel journals from the earliest contact with European settlers up to the mid-twentieth century.
ARTstor This link opens in a new window
Note: You will need to create and login with an ARTstor account in order to download or save images.
ARTstor contains images of art, architecture and archeology from a range of cultures and time periods, in European, American and Asian cultures.
European Views of the Americas: 1493-1750 This link opens in a new window
European Views of the Americas: 1493-1750 contains entries and a guide to printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750. It covers the history of European exploration as well as portrayals of Native American peoples. A range of subject areas are covered; from natural disasters to disease outbreaks and slavery.
Latin American Women Writers This link opens in a new window
Latin American Women Writers contains literature by Latin American women from the colonial period in the 17th century forward to the present. The database presents the works in their original languages and includes literary works, memoirs, letters, and essays.
World Scholar: Latin America and The Caribbean This link opens in a new window
World Scholar: Latin America & the Caribbean collection of primary source documents about Latin America and the Caribbean and includes academic journals and news feeds covering the region as well as reference articles and commentary, maps and statistics, audio and video; and more.

Find Printed Primary Sources at Temple

Use the Library Search and enter keywords on your research topic.
Use the Genre filter at the left and limit to the terms Sources, Personal Narratives, Correspondence, or Diaries to limit to primary sources.
A sample subject heading for primary sources about the treatment of indigenous people in Latin America is: Indians, Treatment of — Latin America — History — Sources
Try the subject links in the records for any useful items you find. These will take you to additional primary sources on the same topic.