What are primary sources?
Primary sources are first-hand accounts of events or time periods in history. These accounts can be in the form of:
- diaries
- letters
- memoirs
- speeches
- interviews
- books
- articles (published in newspapers, magazines, and journals)
- government publications
- pamphlets
- manuscripts
- photographs
- audio/video recordings
- objects of material culture, art, etc.
Often times, primary sources are collected and published in book form at a later date. So, for example, you could find a collection of primary sources related to the civil rights movement that was publisehd in 2022 (the collection, not the original sources). In other words, don't be thrown off when looking at publication dates!
Where can I find primary sources?
Primary sources can be found via:
- the SLU Libraries
- library databases
- the U.S. Government
- the Web
Use this guide's side navigation menu to learn how to find primary sources using these resources.