Primary Sources - History

"Primary sources are original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories..."Primary sources may include letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, documents produced by government agencies such as Congress or the Office of the President, photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures or video recordings, research data, and objects or artifacts such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons.

(Source: Using Primary Sources on the Web, a website created by the History Section of the American Library Association)

Primary sources can be paper or digital formats.  

• Library Catalogs: Many primary sources are in paper format.
  • You can find these print documents through Walsh's library catalog and through the OhioLINK catalog.  

• Databases: Primary sources are also available through databases provided by Walsh Library. 
  • These databases contain digital reproductions of manuscripts, pamphlets, books, images and more.

• Special Collections: Local and national historical societies, museums, archives, and libraries have repositories of archival material.
  • Example: Ohio Historical Society and Ohio State's Cartoon Collection.

• Digital Format: Many sources are now available for free online. Different state agencies, historical societies and museums are scanning their collections for public use.
  • Example: American Memory Project.

Use the tabs on the left side to find primary sources on your topics.