Primary Sources in BU Libraries Search
The search box on the main library webpage (use Advanced Search) is a good place to begin a search for primary sources. The library uses Library of Congress subject headings to classify the books in the collection and there are a number of Library of Congress subheadings that point to primary sources. They are:
- correspondence
- sources
- diaries
- personal narratives
- interviews
- speeches
- documents
- archives
- early works to 1800
These terms can be used in a subject search or a keyword search. Examples of subject searches would be:
- United States--History--War of 1812– Personal Narratives
- Presidents--United States--Messages
- Watergate Affair, 1972-1974-Sources
Examples of keyword searches would be:
- Civil War and diaries
- American Revolution and sources
- Lyndon Johnson and interviews
Many primary documents are reprinted in published sources such as Documents of American History, Annals of America, and Speeches of the American Presidents and these and others are available in the library.
Primary Source Databases
- Immigration Records of the INS, 1880-1930 (ProQuest History Vault) This link opens in a new window Covers the investigations made by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) during the massive immigration wave of 1880-1930, especially among Japanese and Chinese.
- Law and Society since the Civil War (ProQuest History Vault) This link opens in a new window A collection of documents from the Harvard Law School Library featuring the papers of three Supreme Court Justices, the first Black federal judge, and the Sacco and Vanzetti case.
- Making of America The Cornell University Library Making of America Collection is a 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. This site provides access to 267 monograph volumes and over 100,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints
- NAACP Papers (ProQuest History Vault) This link opens in a new window The NAACP Papers collections contains internal memos, legal briefings, and direct action summaries from national, legal, and branch offices throughout the country. It charts the work of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and delivers a first-hand view into crucial issues of the struggle for civil rights.
- North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories This link opens in a new window Letters, diaries, pamphlets, autobiographies, and oral histories; much material was unpublished. Date coverage:1840-, focusing heavily on the period from 1890 to 1920.
- Slavery and the Law (ProQuest History Vault) This link opens in a new window Features petitions on race, slavery, and free blacks that were submitted to state legislatures and county courthouses between 1775 and 1867. Also includes the State Slavery Statutes collection, a comprehensive record of the laws governing American slavery from 1789-1865.
- Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database This link opens in a new window Contains records of trans-Atlantic slave ship voyages made between 1595 and 1866. Format allows users to track information by time period and geographic region, and includes interactive maps that allow viewers to chart the trans-Atlantic connections. The accompanying data contains materials about people on board, owners and captains, ships' characteristics, and the geographic trajectory of each voyage.
Historical Newspapers and Periodicals
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window Full-page images and article images (PDF) with searchable full text from the following newspapers: Boston Globe; New York Times; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Defender. See listing for each individual newspaper for date coverage and to search that publication separately.
- American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals This link opens in a new window Digitized images of American magazines published between 1684 and 1912. Covers history of slavery, literature, women's and religious issues, politics, culture, the arts and foreign language journals published in the U.S. Rights for use by Boston University community supported by the Boston University Humanities Library Endowed Fund.
- America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window Fully searchable digital images of newspapers from 23 states and the District of Columbia. Focusing largely on the 18th and early 19th centuries. Date coverage: 1690 -1876.
- Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window Eyewitness accounts of historical events, ads and genealogical records published in popular 19th century newspapers including African-American publications.
- Library of Congress web guide A Web guide developed by the Library of Congress listing and linking to various documents from the American Revolution to 1920.
- Chronicling America Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
Print books
Speeches of the American Presidents by
Presents more than 200 major speeches by 43 U.S. presidents, from Washington through George W. Bush.
Publication Date: 2001
Documents of American History by
This volume covers 1492 to 1898, and the second volume from 1899 to the 1970s; together they total 670 important documents, each with its own introduction.
Publication Date: 1988
BU Archives
Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center
Instituted in 1963 as Special Collections and renamed in 2003 to honor its founder, the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center is the repository for individuals in the fields of literature, criticism, journalism, drama, music, film, civil rights, diplomacy and national affairs.
Beginning with the sixteenth century, the historical collections include documents of United States presidents and the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Other historical holdings include papers relating to the areas of military history, Eighteenth Century Americana, nursing history, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Franz Liszt. There are also individual letters and documents from monarchs, writers and major historical figures.
