Finding and Accessing Primary Sources
What are Primary Sources in History
Primary sources are the pieces of evidence that historians analyze and interpret to support their historical arguments.
Depending on your topic, almost any kind of material can be used as a primary source as long as it was created during the time period that you are researching or was created by someone who participated, as in the case of oral histories or memoirs.
Letters, Diaries, Scientific Data, Interviews, Photographs, Maps, Videos, Manuscripts, Newspapers, Speeches, Oral Histories, Artifacts, Government Documents, Art, Ephemera, Broadsides, Memoirs, Songs, and More!
For a brief overview of strategies for finding and accessing primary sources in history, visit the History Research guide:
Online Primary Source Collections
Provided through library subscriptions or other institutions, these collections offer a rich variety of primary sources related to the Reconstruction era.
Free Online Collections (Curated)
- U.S. History Primary Source Timeline: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877Selected primary sources related to aspects of Reconstructions from the Library of Congress.
- The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full CitizenshipDigital exhibit from the Library of Congress that includes a section on "Reconstruction and Its Aftermath."
- South Carolina's ReconstructionThis digital exhibit was adapted from a 2018 physical exhibit at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
- Selected Articles from Reconstruction in Historical South Carolina NewspapersA curated list of articles from a variety of South Carolina newspapers from across the state.
Free Online Collections (Searchable)
- Black Freedom Struggle in the United States This link opens in a new windowA free collection of selected primary source documents intended for students in middle school through college, arranged by time period and covering 1790-2000s.
- Historical Newspapers of South Carolina This link opens in a new windowFree online access to historical local and regional newspapers originating throughout South Carolina in the 19th and 20th centuries. Includes content from the African-American newspapers Lighthouse and Informer and The Palmetto Leader not found in Chronicling America.
- Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers This link opens in a new windowFreely search selected American newspapers, including South Carolina papers, from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. newspaper directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
- HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new windowDigitized collection of books and other items from major research libraries. To access member features, click LOG IN and select University of South Carolina from the dropdown list. Then enter your USC network username and password.
- South Carolina Digital Library (SCDL)Combines collections from libraries, archives, museums, and cultural heritage institutions across the state to promote South Carolina’s cultural and historical resources.
- Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)Digitized primary sources from archives, museums, and institutions across the country, including all materials in South Carolina Digital Library.
Subscription resources from USC
- The Christian Recorder (1861-1893)This African American newspaper from the A.M.E. Church in Philadelphia covered issues religious and secular affecting the lives of black Americans.
- American History (1493-1945) from the Gilder Lehrman Institute This link opens in a new windowA unique collection of primary source documents, including correspondence, diaries, government documents, business records, books, pamphlets, newspapers, broadsides, photographs, artwork and maps.
- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection, Series 1-5 This link opens in a new windowSearch a comprehensive collection of historical magazines published between 1684 and 1912.
- Harper's Weekly Collection (1857-1912) This link opens in a new windowSearch scanned images of all pages from this important American political magazine.
- New York Times Historical (1851-2016) This link opens in a new windowKeyword searching and full-text access to this major national newspaper.