Historical Data
- Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new windowThematic essays and data sets on population, economics, labor, government, crime, etc., from Colonial times up to to 2000. You may download the data into Excel as well as dynamically create graphs.
Electronic Collections of Primary Sources
American Decades Primary Sources by Call Number: N/AISBN: 9780787665876Publication Date: 2003-12-05From the main Gale Virtual Reference Library home page, click on the History category. Click on the link for the American Decades resource. Once in this work, you can enter a keyword in the Search Within This Publication box to the left. Or use the eTable of Contents to browse by subject/topic.
Print Collections of Primary Sources
*Notes:
- Primary sources in American history from the Shaw-Shoemaker series are available online from the Early American Imprints database (see below for the link)
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Primary sources in British history can be found in collections like Early English books 1475-1640 by Alfred W Pollard (Alfred William). It is available at the JFK Library Lower Level Microfilm (Call number: Z2002 .P77)
Daily Life Through World History in Primary Documents by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference: CB69 b .D35 2009ISBN: 0313338981Publication Date: 2008
Dictionary of Historic Documents by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference: D9 .D525 2003ISBN: 0816047723Publication Date: 2003
Encyclopedia of American Historical Documents by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference: E173 .E54 2004ISBN: 0816049955Publication Date: 2004Presents a collection of documents that were significant to American history, from the period of European exploration to the present, including the passage of the Homeland Security Bill.
English Historical Documents by Call Number: JFK Library JFK Main Level Reference DA26 .E55ISBN: 0195201019Publication Date: 1980v. 1. c.500-1042, v. 2. 1042-1189, --v. 3. 1189-1327, --v. 4. 1327-1485, --v. 5. 1485-1558, .--v. 8. 1660-1714, --v. 9. American colonial documents, to 1776, --v. 10. 1714-1783, --v. 11. 1783-1832, --v. 12, pt. 1. 1833-1874, pt. 2. 1874-1914.- Great Britain: The lion at home. A documentary history of domestic policy, 1689-1973. by Call Number: JFK Upper Level Book Stacks DA470 .W48ISBN: 0835207765Publication Date: 1974
- Milestone Documents in American History by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference: E173 .M62 2008ISBN: 0979775833Publication Date: 2008Contains thirty-two full-text primary source documents that helped to shape American society from 1763 to 2003. Detailed break down by volume: v. 1: 1763-1823, v. 2: 1824-1887, v. 3: 1888-1955, v. 4: 1956-2003
World War II by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference D743.7 .W68 1999ISBN: 078763896XPublication Date: 1999Allows your students to study 16 full or excerpted speeches, diary entries, newspaper accounts, novels, poems, memoirs and other materials related to World War II. Entries are grouped together in broad
Select Documents of European History by Call Number: EWU JFK Upper Level Book Stacks (D101 .L3)Publication Date: 1929v. 1. 800-1492 / ed. and tr. by R.G.D. Laffan.--v. 2. 1492-1715 / ed. by W.F. Reddaway.--v. 3. 1715-1920 / ed. by H. Butterfield.
What's the Difference Between Primary & Secondary Sources?
The following Web sites will explain the differences between primary and secondary sources.
Useful Words for Finding Primary Sources in the Library Catalog
To find books that reproduce primary sources on your topic, you need to enter the topic (or person) you are researching and one of the following subjects:
Archives, correspondence, diaries, interviews, letters, manuscripts, maps, memoirs, narratives (personal, slave, etc.), photographs, propaganda, sources, speeches.
If you want to find reproductions of important primary sources from U.S. history, then you can do a subject search for United States History Sources in the EWU catalog.
Another way of finding primary sources written by a specific historical figure is to enter the person's name into one search box and then the term author in another search box (do it as a Subject search). It should return materials that were written by that person.
Databases Containing Primary Sources
*Note: For historical newspapers, see the Newspapers tab on the left hand navigation pane.
- African American Experience This link opens in a new windowScholarly books and encyclopedias, as well as primary source documents for the history and culture of the African American community.
- American Indian Experience This link opens in a new windowScholarly books and encyclopedias, as well as hundreds of primary source documents and photographs for the histories and cultures of the Native American peoples.
- American State Papers 1789-1838 This link opens in a new windowCongressional and Executive Branch reports, complementing the U.S. Congressional Serial Set.
- Artstor This link opens in a new windowImages of art, architecture, photographs and videos from art museums from around the world. Keyword search or browse by collection, type, or geography. Create an individual account to download the images. Downloaded images can be used in the classroom and non-commercial educational use.
- Asian American Experience This link opens in a new windowThe Asian American Experience applies a critical lens to the study of U.S. history, exploring the social, political, and economic forces that have shaped the experiences of Asian Americans in distinct historical eras. The database also explores some of the rich and varied experiences of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Island and indigenous groups. This database offers a rich and diverse variety of primary sources, including images, audio clips, documents, and video, covering multiple dimensions of Asian American history and culture.
- Civil Rights and Social Justice (HeinOnline) This link opens in a new windowPublications covering the expansion of civil rights protections and definitions in the United States. Includes hearings, committee prints, legislative histories, CRS and GAO reports, briefs from landmark Supreme Court cases, and publications from the Commission on Civil Rights.
- Early American Imprints 1639-1800 & 1801-1819 This link opens in a new windowBooks, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints listed in the renowned bibliographies by Charles Evans (1639-1800) and Ralph R. Shaw and Richard H. Shoemaker (1801-1819).
- European Views of the Americas: 1493-1750 (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowOnline version of “European Americana: A Chronological Guide to Works Printed In Europe Relating to The Americas, 1493-1750”. Contains entries for texts written in Europe before 1750.
- Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new windowThematic essays and data sets on population, economics, labor, government, crime, etc., from Colonial times up to to 2000. You may download the data into Excel as well as dynamically create graphs.
- Latino American Experience This link opens in a new windowPrimary and secondary sources,including biographies, on the history and culture of Latinos living in the United States.
- Newspapers.com This link opens in a new windowNewspapers.com Library Edition is an extensive online database of 4,000+ historical newspapers from the early 1700s into the 2000s. This collection contains a diverse blend of well-known regional and local newspapers in the U.S. and other countries.
- Nineteenth Century British Pamphlets This link opens in a new window19th Century British Pamphlets, created by Research Libraries UK (RLUK), contains the most significant British pamphlets from the 19th century held in research libraries in the United Kingdom.
- Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowIndexing from magazines and a few journals.
- Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law (HeinOnline) This link opens in a new windowMultitude of essential legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world. Access to most content except some scholarly articles.
- Struggles for Freedom: Southern Africa This link opens in a new windowThe liberation of Southern Africa and the dismantling of the Apartheid regime was one of the major political developments of the 20th century, with far-reaching consequences for people throughout Africa and around the globe. This collection focuses on the complex and varied liberation struggles in the region, with an emphasis on Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It brings together materials from various archives and libraries throughout the world documenting colonial rule, dispersion of exiles, international intervention, and the worldwide networks that supported successive generations of resistance within the region.
- U.S. Congressional Serial Set -- 1817-1980 This link opens in a new windowFull-text Congressional reports, documents & journals from 1817 to 1980.
- Women’s Studies Archive (Gale Primary Sources) This link opens in a new windowProvides a history of the social, political, and professional aspects of women's lives and offers a look at the roles, experiences, and achievements of women in society with a focus on the 19th and 20th centuries. Access to diaries, letters, photographs, news clippings, organizational records, and journals on issues such as societal contributions, social status, and women's movements and more.
EWU Resources
EWU Digital Commons [http://dc.ewu.edu/]: Documents focus on University and regional history. Our regional history collections focus on Cheney, Spokane County, Grand Coulee Dam and transportation in the Inland Northwest. Location of the physical EWU Libraries Archives & Special Collections: Lower level of the JFK Library (Tel.# 509-359-2475). Contact person: Steve Bingo, Archivist [sbingo@ewu.edu].
Local Resources
- Archives West (formerly the Northwest Digital Archives)Archives West provides access to descriptions of primary sources in the Northwestern United States, including correspondence, diaries, or photographs. Digital reproductions of primary sources are available in some cases.
- Museum of Arts & CultureThe Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture collects art, artifacts and primary source material in three disciplines: Regional History, Fine Art, and American Indian and other cultures. The collections include over 68,000 objects representing fine art and material culture from the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
- Northwest Room (Spokane Public Library)The Spokane Public Library has an extensive Northwest collection which contains over 13,000 items. The collection consists of reference books, maps, directories, periodicals, government documents, and archival materials pertaining to the history, exploration, and settlement of the Pacific Northwest. The Northwest Room offers information on every period from the late 1700's to the present. Scroll down the main Webpage to access their digital collections.
- Spokane Historical (EWU's Public History Program)Spokane Historical is a web and mobile platform for telling stories of Spokane and Eastern Washington. It is a free app available on your Android or iPhone smart phone or tablet. Spokane Historical is a project of the Public History program at Eastern Washington University.
- Washington Digital NewspapersBrings together over 600,000 pages from Washington’s earliest Territorial newspapers to the present day. Freely accessible to the public, this growing collection complements the Washington State Library’s physical collection
- Washington State Archives Digital CollectionsFor the Spokane area, contact the Eastern Regional Branch located on the EWU campus (960 Washington Street, Tel.# (509)235-7508). Collections span the years from the territorial period to the present and include school census records, tax assessment rolls, court dockets and case files, photographs, maps, plats, and engineering drawings. You can also search their historical newspapers [https://www.sos.wa.gov/library/newspapers/newspapers.aspx].
National Resources
- National Archives & Records Administration (NARA)Browse the National Archives by topic.
- 100 Milestone Documents (NARA)The full-text of 100 milestone documents (including some involving international events) compiled by the National Archives that chronicle United States history from 1776 to 1965.
International Resources
- Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History, and DiplomacyA collection of digital primary documents relevant to the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government.
- EuroDocs: Online Sources for European HistoryA collection of open access primary document sources. Links connect users to European primary historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated. In addition you will find video or sound files, maps, photographs or other imagery, databases, and other documentation. The sources cover a broad range of historical happenings (political, economic, social and cultural).
- Internet History Sourcebooks ProjectThe Internet History Sourcebooks Project is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use.