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History

Guide to history research at Temple University Libraries

NEWSPAPERS: Primary Sources for U.S. History

Historical Newspapers

Contemporary Newspapers

JOURNALS: Primary Sources for U.S. History

BOOKS: Primary Sources for U.S. History

EPHEMERA: Primary Sources for U.S. History

The following databases provide electronic reproductions of full-text primary-source documents including maps, letters, diaries, oral histories, memoirs and other personal narratives.

GOVERNMENT DOCS: Primary Sources for U.S. History

IMAGES, MAPS, VIDEO: Primary Sources for U.S. History

Find visual materials such as drawings and paintings, still photographs and videos via the databases listed below.

Library of Congress Digital Collections

Library of Congress Logo

No search for primary-source materials is complete without a visit to the Library of Congress's Digital Collections. This vast collection can be keyword searched or browsed by topic, time period, or media types that include manuscripts, maps, motion pictures, photos, video recordings, and more.

Explore a map and timeline of the Library of Congress' Chronicling America Newspapers collection.

U.S. National Archives

Archives Logo

NARA offers one of the richest repositories for U.S. history, but only a relatively small portion of the collection is available online.

The Archival Facility for NARA's Mid-Atlantic Region is located in Center City Philadelphia.

Digital Public Library of America

Digital Public Library of America

"The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science."

Founders Online

Benjamin Franklin's signature and image

 

In cooperation with the University of Virginia Press, the National Archives have launched Founders Online, a free online tool that brings together the papers of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. The nearly 120,000 fully searchable documents come from published volumes as well as unpublished sources, with more to be added over time.