Primary sources are materials which provide first-hand evidence of an event, a social movement, or daily life in a particular time and place. Common examples of primary sources are letters, diaries, photographs, and oral history interviews. Depending on your research context, primary sources might also include newspaper articles, data, laws, treaties, or other legal documents.
Newspapers, Pamphlets, Magazines
Collections
Prints, Songs, Letters & Diaries
American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning. Below are collections that deal with Civil War era topics.
Quality primary sources exist on the internet. Look for materials and collections digitized and shared by:
The Library has primary sources in the collection located both in the regular shelves (which you have access to) and in Special Collections (which a librarian will get for you and which you'll use in the Special Collections Reading Room).
To access primary sources (and other items within our collection), you will click on the Books & Media link on the homepage (lib.msu.edu). From there, you can do a keyword search, an advanced search (my default choice), a title search, or an author search.
1. Works BY Important People in the Field
Use the author tab to narrow your search to things BY the person (not just about the person). You can also use the author tab for organizations.
2. Use Special Keywords
Item Type:
For letters, use "letters" or "correspondence"
For interviews, use "interview" or "personal narrative"
For diaries, use "diaries" or "journals"
For pictures, use "photographs", "posters" or "pictorial works"
For cartoons, use "editorial cartoon" or "political cartoon" or "caricature"
Subject Terms:
When you find a useful item, you'll see "subject headings" linked at the bottom of the item's record. Those are good ways to browse and see what else the library has.
For example:
Confederate States of American -- History
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Soldiers -- United States -- Social conditions -- 19th century
Slavery -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Participation, Female
3. Limit the Time Period
Use the "within" field to limit the time period of your search.