LibGuides: Early College High School/Dual Enrollment: Primary Sources

Primary Sources Defined

Primary Sources

"Primary sources . . . are defined as the direct evidence of a time and place that you are studying – any material (documents, objects, etc.) that was produced by eyewitnesses to or participants in an event or historical moment under investigation. Secondary sources, in contrast, are interpretations – often generated by scholars – that are based upon the examination of multiple primary sources." (from Primary Source.org)

Consider various types of primary sources

What types of primary sources might have been produced that would be relevant to your topic? Which persons or organizations might have produced materials?

Possible formats include:

Books
Photographs, images
Magazines, newspapers
Advertisements
Diaries, journals
Movies, videos, DVDs
Memoirs, autobiographies
Audio recordings
Interviews
Letters
Speeches
Research data, statistics
Documents produced by organizations
Documents produced by government agencies

Find Primary Sources

On the 3rd floor of the Library, Special Collections specializes in (PRINT) historical materials relating to

Texas Wesleyan University Archives
The Bobby Bragan Collection
The H. Howard Hughes Performing Arts Collection
Other archival and personal collections related to the history of the University or Polytechnic Heights

Texas Wesleyan on Portal to Texas History

The Portal to Texas History is a gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas. Created and maintained by the University of North Texas Libraries, the Portal leverages the power of hundreds of content partners across the state to provide a vibrant, growing collection of resources.

African American Experience - American Mosaic This link opens in a new window
Organized by time period, this database contains timelines, photos, videos, speeches, letters other primary documents on African American history, plus well-written summaries called reference articles.
American Indian Experience - American Mosaic This link opens in a new window
Organized by time period, this database contains in-depth historical accounts and cultural information about the indigenous peoples of North America including timelines, photos, videos, speeches, primary sources, and summary reference articles.
Ayer Collection: American Indian & Indigenous Peoples This link opens in a new window
One of the strongest archival collections on American Indian history in the world. Spanning four hundred years, document types include manuscripts, artworks, speeches, petitions, diaries and correspondence, linguistic and ethnographic studies, photographs, maps, rare printed books, and American Indian newspapers.
The collection is the source of Adam Matthew's American Indian Histories and Cultures Project.
Graff Collection: US Western Expansion This link opens in a new window
Explore the fact and the fiction of westward expansion in America from the early eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Contains a wide range of rare and original documents including printed books, journals, historic maps, broadsides, periodicals, advertisements, photographs, artwork, and more.
Collection is the source of Adam Matthew's American West Project.
Latino American Experience This link opens in a new window
A full-text database focusing on the history and culture of Latinos living in the United States. Features over 150 titles,1500 images, hundreds of primary documents, Spanish-language content, a timeline, and 225 vetted Web sites.
Women and Social Movements 1600-2000: Scholar's Edition This link opens in a new window
This database contains 130 document projects and document archives that present and interpret primary source documents. In addition, there are many other publications, including a biographical dictionary and an encyclopedia included.

Newspaper Source Plus This link opens in a new window
Contains more than 1,200 newspapers, 40 news magazines, 130 newswires, and more than 2.1 million television and radio news transcripts.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
ProQuest Historical Newspapers is the exclusive digital archive for leading newspapers that gives users ready access to the full content of each paper starting from the very first issues. Users can search and view article-level images and full page images page through issues cross-search all historical newspapers in this program and enjoy unparalleled digital access to The New York Times The Wall Street Journal and The Christian Science Monitor.
US Major Dailies This link opens in a new window
US Major Dailies provides access to the five most respected US national and regional newspapers, including The New York Times and Washington Post, co-exclusive access to The Wall Street Journal, and exclusive access to Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune

Cartographic Connections
This collection from the University of Texas at Arlington provides access to historic maps of Texas, the Gulf Coast, and the Southwestern United States. The collection contains maps dating from the 1500s through the 1900s as well as resources for teachers and students.
David Rumsey Map Collection
Welcome to the David Rumsey Map Collection Database and Blog. The Map Database has many viewers and the Blog has numerous categories. The historical map collection has over 42,000 maps and images online. The collection focuses on rare 18th and 19th century North American and South American maps and other cartographic materials. Historic maps of the World, Europe, Asia, and Africa are also represented.
Library of Congress Digital Collections, Maps
This link connects you with the Library of Congress Digital Collection of Maps
Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection
This link connects you with the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.

US Census State & County QuickFacts
Quick, easy access to facts about people, business, and geography

Official Portal of Texas: Population and Demographics
Links for sites with demographic details of Texas broken into state, city and county segments that incorporate business and industry data, climate information, incomes, median and average house prices, individual and household incomes, economic and financial details, national comparisons, census records, reports and online interactive research tools.

Early College High School/Dual Enrollment

Primary v. Secondary Sources

Primary v. Secondary Sources in Sciences

Primary Sources Defined

Primary Sources

Consider various types of primary sources

Find Primary Sources