Primary Sources for American History

The George Washington University’s Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project (ERPP) publishes online and print archives of Eleanor Roosevelt’s extensive writings. The collection includes political pieces, speeches, newspaper columns and transcripts from radio and television. In addition to sharing Roosevelt’s writings with the public, ERPP produces lesson plans and case studies to help teachers bring Eleanor Roosevelt into the classroom.
Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most significant American women of the 20th century, and she remains one of the most admired. As First Lady, journalist, activist, diplomat, Democratic Party leader and public speaker, she helped shape not only the United States but also the United Nations and the path we still follow toward the greater protection of human rights.

It's been 400 years since the first ship of enslaved Africans arrived here, and the entire NYT magazine on Sunday, August 18, 2019 is devoted to the history and impact of chattel slavery on America, and how it has affected nearly anything you can think of.
The project is the brainchild of journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, and features CSI English Professor and Pulitzer Prize wining poet, Tyehimba Jess. Prof. Jess participated in launch of the project. The livestream can be viewed through The New York Times.

A digital collection of primary source documents related to U.S. history from 1400 to present.

Digital collection of historical materials from the Library Congress. Includes a variety of manuscripts, pamphlets, images, audio and video recordings, maps, and sheet music that document U.S. history and culture. Users can search across all collections or browse by topic. Also see their webpage providing links to Primary Source Collections.

Online catalog of the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) nationwide holdings in the Washington DC area, Regional Archives, and Presidential Libraries. Includes the Online Public Access resource is the online public portal to ARC records and information about their records.

Online access to "cornerstone" government documents such as the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence as well as legal and judiciary documents such as Congressional bills, Supreme Court decisions, and Code of Federal Regulations.

The DPLA 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 art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science. View their DPLA Primary Sources Sets, which are primary source collections exploring topics in history, literature, and culture developed by educators — complete with teaching guides for class use.

The online tool for teaching with documents, from the National Archives.

A unique archive of primary sources in American history owned by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, located at the New-York Historical Society. Selected online access to the Collection's 60,000 document related to the political, social, and economic history of the United States, ranging from 1493 through the twentieth century.

This site serves as a gateway to web resources and offers unique teaching materials, first-person primary documents, and guides to analyzing historical evidence. See the link to, "Many Pasts," for primary sources, and the link to "www.history," for reviewed and annotated websites in American history, including those with digitized primary source materials and collections.

JSTOR’s continuously expanding Open Community Collections feature freely accessible primary source materials in a wide variety of subjects contributed by libraries, museums, and archives.

Digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology.

The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government. Their Collections Highlights webpage has an impressive collection of several thousand objects, works of art, manuscripts, and printed works from the period of the American Revolution.

Catalog of over 500,000 records describing archival and manuscript collections in research libraries, state and federal agencies, museums, and historical societies throughout the world.

Access to over 600,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more.

Digital collection of primary source materials held by the New York State Archives, State Library, and State Museum. Collections include photographs, textual materials, artifacts, government documents, manuscripts, and other materials.

Primary source documents pertaining to early American history. An invaluable collection of historical works which contributed to the formation of American politics, culture, and ideals.

Slavery, Abolition, Emancipation, and Freedom: Primary Sources from Houghton Library (SAEF) is a growing digital collection highlighting materials related to Black history and culture from Harvard University's Houghton Library. You can Explore the Collection to browse the entire collection or view guides and curated selections.