What are Primary Sources?

Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Often these sources are created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring, but primary sources can also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later. Primary sources are characterized by their content, regardless of whether they are available in original format, in microfilm/microfiche, in digital format, or in published format.

• FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. For over 100 years, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide. Patrons may freely access our resources and service online at FamilySearch.org, or through over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries, including the renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 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.
• Hudson Valley Regional Heritage, HRVH, provides access to historical materials from digital collections contributed by colleges, libraries, historical societies, archives, museums and cultural organizations from the following counties in New York State: Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Westchester.
• National Archives Digital Classroom This section contains reproducible copies of primary documents from the holdings of the National Archives of the United States
• The National Archives Experience: Docs Teach  find written documents, images, maps, charts, graphs, audio and video in our ever-expanding collection that spans the course of American history.
• New York State Archives: Where History Goes on Record The New York State Archives was established in 1971 and opened its doors to the public in 1978.
• New York State Archives: YouTube For the first time ever, recently digitized videos from the vaults of the New York State Archives are available on YouTube.
• National Archives: Digital Vault  the NARA has put together this very cool flash experience!  
• Library of Congress: Geography and Map reading Room has custody of the largest and most comprehensive cartographic collection in the world with collections numbering over 5.5 million maps, 80,000 atlases, 6,000 reference works, over 500 globes and globe gores, 3,000 raised relief models, and a large number of cartographic materials in other formats, including over 38,000 CDs/DVDs.
• History Matters: making Sense of Evidence make effective use of primary sources. “Making Sense of Documents” provide strategies for analyzing online primary materials, with interactive exercises and a guide to traditional and online sources.

Document Analysis WorkSheets: The following document analysis worksheets were designed and developed by the Education Staff of the National Archives and Records Administration. You may find these worksheets helpful when deciding which primary sources you should choose.

• Artifact Analysis Worksheet
• Sound Recording Analysis
• Poster Analysis
• Photo Analysis
• Motion Picture Analysis
• Map Analysis
• Cartoon Analysis
• Written Document Analysis

Many of the  Primary Resources listed here were introduced to me while attending the recent  Rockland BOCES Teaching American History session. Sharing resources is a great way to learn about the plethora of information available on the World Wide Web. Click here and add the Primary Resources you found helpful.

To view other Primary Resources, please visit the SOMS Library Media Center, click on the Pathfinders located on the right side of the homepage.