U.S. History: General Primary Sources

Documents for the Study of American History

The American Folklife Center Archive, established in the Library of Congress Music Division in 1928, is now one of the largest archives of ethnographic materials from the United States and around the world, encompassing millions of items of ethnographic and historical documentation recorded from the nineteenth century to the present. These collections, which include extensive audiovisual documentation of traditional arts, cultural expressions, and oral histories, offer researchers access to the songs, stories, and other creative expressions of people from diverse communities.

A list of available digital collections from the Library of Congress.

DPLA connects people to the riches held within America’s libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions. All of the materials found through DPLA—photographs, books, maps, news footage, oral histories, personal letters, museum objects, artwork, government documents, and so much more—are free and immediately available in digital format.

A collaborative effort from the University of California at Santa Barbara, these archives contain 104,106 documents related to the study of the Presidency. Includes voter turnout, financing elections, election documents, speeches, briefings, statements, and much more.

Database of and index to 5000+ full text, audio and video versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, other recorded media events, and a declaration or two.

This site will allow visitors to either search through America's historic newspaper pages from 1789-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. The links to both options are at the top of the page. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

Documenting the American South (DocSouth) is a digital publishing initiative that provides Internet access to texts, images, and audio files related to southern history, literature, and culture. Currently DocSouth includes sixteen thematic collections of books, diaries, posters, artifacts, letters, oral history interviews, and songs.

Records of the United States

The National Archives holds historical U.S. government documents (federal, congressional, and presidential records) that are created or received by the President and his staff, by Congress, by employees of Federal government agencies, and by the Federal courts in the course of their official duties.

The New York Public Library Digital Collections contains 872,816 items and counting. While that is a small fraction of the Library's overall holdings, it is representative of the diversity of our vast collections—from books to videos, maps to manuscripts, illustrations to photos, and more.

This site provides access to about 100 milestone documents of American history. These include the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, and the Missouri Compromise.

Picturing United States History is a digital project based on the belief that visual materials are vital to understanding the American past. This website provides online essays, lectures, and reflective classroom lessons to help teachers incorporate visual evidence into their classrooms.

Presidential Libraries and Museums promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire.

This site houses daily records and comments that appeared in American and international newspapers.