Finding Primary Sources: Websites
A guide to finding primary source accounts of United States history at the Valley Cottage Library.
Evaluating Websites
To determining if the information you find on a website is reliable enough for your research, ask the "5 W's."
Who
Who created the website?
Can you find the author's, or creating institution's, name on the website?
What
What is the purpose of the website?
Is the author trying to sell something?
Does the author have a particular bias or agenda?
Where
Where did the information come from?
Are there links to original sources?
Are there citations?
When
When was the website created?
When was it last updated?
Why
Why should I use this website?
Why should I get my information here rather than somewhere else?
Websites
Reliable, librarian-approved websites for finding primary sources.
- Chronicling America: Historic American NewspapersChronicling America is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages.
- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American HistoryA collection of information and primary sources for all facets of American history. Click on the "History by Era" button to navigate to the appropriate module.
- Hudson River Valley Heritage Digital CollectionDigitized images from contributing organizations throughout the Hudson River Valley.
- Internet Modern History SourcebookA series of links to primary sources important in both U.S. and World History. Arranged chronologically.
- The John Adams LibraryThe John Adams Library Project at the Boston Public Library was established in 2003 to catalog, preserve, digitize, and provide access to the extraordinary personal library of America’s second president.
- Letters of NoteA collection of letters, notes and memos covering a variety of topics ranging in date from before the 1600s until today. It can be browsed by topic, by writer or by date.
- Library of Congress: American MemoryAmerican Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken wordsprints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.
- Making of AmericaA digital library of primary sources in American social history primarily from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
- The Metropolitan Museum of ArtDigital images of art and artifacts from the Met's collection.
- The National Archives Experience: Docs TeachPrimary sources collected from the National Archives, including written documents, images, and maps.
- The National JukeboxThe Library of Congress presents the National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge.
- The National Museum of American HistoryDigital images of art and artifacts from the NMAH's collection.
- Smithsonian FolkwaysLessons abut U.S. History built around sound recordings.
- Worcester Art MuseumEarly American paintings embedded in a historical time line.