InfoGuides: EDCI 567: Teaching Social Studies in the Secondary School: Explore Primary Source Tools

Selected Resources by History Librarian

Large Library Repositories: There are many libraries and archives that have digitized parts of their collections. Typically the collections digitized provide select examples and are far from comprehensive. Nevertheless, they may be useful for instruction and limited research.

FoundersOnline
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (and family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. Over 178,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the authoritative Founding Fathers Papers projects.
Library of Congress
Contains a wealth of information about history and numerous digital displays as well as resources for teachers
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia is dedicated to providing relevant and useful educational material on Virginia's history, culture, and people to the commonwealth’s educators, students, and lifelong learners of any age.
National Archives and Records Administration
Find primary sources, tools for teaching with documents, and student and educator programs.
University of North Carolina: Digital Collections
The digital collections emphasize North Carolina and the American South. Topics include the experience of African Americans, the Civil War, the arts, economics, and politics
University of North Carolina: Documenting the American South
Award-winning digital publishing initiative, provides access to important texts, images, and audio files for the study of Southern history, literature, and culture.

George Mason University students and faculty have access to rich research collections. Some of the largest and most important of these collections are identified on the History and Primary Sources InfoGuide.

These guides include access to many library owned databases which include major research collections such as America’s Historical Imprints, American Periodicals, and Proquest Historical Newspapers. These guides are organized by primary source type (books/imprints, periodicals/newspapers, legal sources, and selected archival sources). The guides are organized by geographic region and in some cases by time periods.

Early American History: 1600-1820
Provides access to published primary and secondary source resources and research strategies for the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Early Republic Eras in American History, from the first European settlements to the 1820s.
U.S. History: 1820s -1880s
Source guide for US History: Antebellum, Civil War, Reconstruction
U.S. History: 1880 - 1930
Contains primary source resources and research strategies for the Gilded Age, Progressive Era, World War I, and Great Depression Eras in American History, from the 1880s to the 1930s.
U.S. History: 1930 - present
Primary source resources and secondary sources for the World War II, Cold War, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, and Recent Eras in American History, from the 1940s to the present.

Asian History
Contains primary source resources and research strategies in Asian History, including the Indian Subcontinent, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula.
British History
Contains primary source resources and research strategies in British History, including the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Latin American History
Primary and Secondary source resources and research strategies for Latin American History
Midle East & African History
Contains primary source resources and research strategies for Middle Eastern and African History.
Russian & Eastern European History
Contains primary source resources and research strategies in Eastern European, Russian, and former Soviet Union History, including Russia and other Soviet republics, the Balkans, Poland, East Germany, and other Eastern European nations.