HIST 3130 - African American History I: Finding Primary Sources
This guide provides library and web-based information appropriate for students enrolled in HIST 3130 - African American History I
What is a Primary Source?
A primary source is generally defined as document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Depending on your research topic and perspective, primary sources can include:
- Original Documents (autobiographies, personal correspondence and diaries, speeches and oral histories, newspapers, government documents, audio and video recordings, photographs, and maps)
- Creative Works (Art, drama, poetry, music, novels)
- Relics or Artifacts
Hergesheimer, E. (Edwin). 1861. Map showing the distribution of the slave population of the southern states of the United States. Compiled from the census of 1860. Place: Cornell University Library Maps and Geospatial Information Collection.
Archives, Institutions, and Digital Libraries
- Colored Conventions Project (CCP) The CCP brings together interdisciplinary scholars and students, librarians and independent researchers, national teaching partners and media specialists, academic institutions, and members of the public.
- Library of Congress Digital Collections (LOC) Quick links to digital collections relevant to African American History
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (NYPL) The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.
- SlaveVoyages (Rice Univ.) The SlaveVoyages website is a collaborative digital initiative that compiles and makes publicly accessible records of the largest slave trades in history. Search these records to learn about the broad origins and forced relocations of more than 12 million African people who were sent across the Atlantic in slave ships, and hundreds of thousands more who were trafficked within the Americas.
- South Carolina Digital Library (SCDL) The South Carolina Digital Library coordinates the distribution of the knowledge and resources necessary to encourage new digitization efforts in the state, and provides free and unlicensed access to those collections online to stimulate the minds and extend the cultural memories of South Carolina’s citizens.
Published v. Unpublished
Primary Sources
Unpublished primary sources are original documents and objects created by individuals but not formally published. Unpublished materials are typically found in archives, libraries, and museums.
Published primary sources include a wide-range of publications, including first-person accounts, memoirs, diaries, letters, newspapers, statistical reports, government documents, court records, photographs, and more. Some of these materials were not published at the time of their creation but have subsequently been published in a collected volume.
Find published sources by using Library Catalogs, Research Guides, and published bibliographies. To find primary sources in catalogs try using the following strategies:
- Search by publication date to find sources published during the time period
- Use advanced search options to restrict material type
- Include the following subjects in your search: Correspondence, Letters, Sources, Diaries, Personal Narratives, Interviews, or Speeches
Local Collections
- Georgia Southern University Special Collections Lane Library’s special collections includes the university archives of the Armstrong Campus and the Florence Powell Minis Room Collection. The university archives documents Armstrong’s history and served as a resource for Janet Stone’s scholarly history, From the Mansion to the University: A History of Armstrong Atlantic State University 1935-2010. Endowed by the Minis family of Savannah, the Minis Room houses books about Savannah and the Coastal region, including works by Savannah authors. The Special Collection are open for research by appointment and we are always happy to introduce students to these collections, which include Alumni donations and feature student work. The online guide to the Special Collections is a good starting point, with links to digitized collections, such as The ‘Geechee yearbook (1937-1995), The Inkwell, Armstrong’s student newspaper and more. Also, contact the special collections librarian to arrange a visit to the Special Collections, for research or a class. See Special Collections at the Lane Library (Armstrong Campus) The Zach S. Henderson Library’s Special Collections was founded in the 1970’s. Housed within the department are rare books, manuscript collections, and artifacts relating to the history of the Statesboro region and Georgia Southern University. Special Collections has materials documenting the Civil War, World War II, southern railroads, early businesses, and local genealogy. Popular collections include: the Okefenokee Swamp Collection, the Bulloch County Historical Society Collection, and the Lucile Hodges Collection. Also available for research are the Marvin S. Pittman Collection and the Charles Holmes Herty Collection, to name only a few. See Special Collections at the Henderson Library (Statesboro Campus)
- Georgia Historical Society As a non-university research and educational institution, the Georgia Historical Society has collected, preserved, and shared some of the most important documents, rare books, maps, photographs, and artifacts that tell the story of our state’s journey through time. The cornerstones of the collection are Hodgson Hall, the National Historic Landmark building that serves as the GHS Research Center, and the impressive group of manuscripts, rare books, and archival materials housed in the adjacent Abrahams Archival Annex. The collection includes more than 4 million manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, 30,000 architectural drawings, 15,000 books, and thousands of maps, newspapers, portraits, and artifacts. The papers of many influential Georgians, including Griffin Bell, Vince Dooley, Benjamin Hawkins, Helen Dortch Longstreet, Juliette Gordon Low, and Bernie Marcus, are held in the society’s collections. Perhaps the most significant document in the collection is an original draft copy of the U.S. Constitution that belonged to Abraham Baldwin, a Georgia delegate to the national constitutional convention of 1787.
- City of Savannah: Municipal Archives & Records Management The Municipal Archives & Records Management division: Collects, manages preserves and makes accessible records documenting the City of Savannah's history Administers the records management program and the City Records Center to increase the efficiency of City agencies Shares the City's history with City employees, citizens and visitors through outreach activities
- Catholic Diocese of Savannah: Archives & Records Department The mission of the Archives & Records Department is to administer the Archives & Records program which manages records created by the Diocese of Savannah; to serve as the institutional repository for records of historical and enduring value; and to promote an understanding of the Catholic Church, her history, and her heritage in South Georgia. The department is erected in accordance with Canon 482.
- Kaye Kole Genealogy & Local History Room The Kaye Kole Genealogy & Local History Room, located at the Bull Street Library, serves as a resource center for non-circulating material on the history and genealogy of Georgia and Savannah. Non-fragile items from this room, including microfilm, are available to the public for in-house use. If you have questions or would like help pulling items prior to your visit, please call during hours of operation.
- Savannah State University Special Collections Special Collections at Asa H. Gordon Library has been established to collect, organize, describe, preserve, and make available University materials of permanent institutional and historical value. Special Collections will further encourage the dissemination of knowledge pertaining to the origins of programs and goals of the University by providing facilities for the retention, preservation, servicing, and research of Savannah State University documents. In addition, Special Collections will serve as a research source for the study of the University’s history by members of the University community and the scholarly community at large.
- Digital Library of Georgia This link opens in a new windowGeorgia history and culture through digitized books, primary sources, photos, and video (more...).
- Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive This link opens in a new windowGeorgia historical newspapers (more...).
- Georgia Department of Archives & History This link opens in a new windowGeorgia Department of Archives & History website (more...).
Suggested Library Databases
- Civil Rights Digital Library This link opens in a new windowAmerican Civil Rights Movement; images; movies; articles (more...).
- Digital Library of Georgia This link opens in a new windowGeorgia history and culture through digitized books, primary sources, photos, and video (more...).
- Library of Congress Digital Collections This link opens in a new windowPrimary sources, images, maps, American history (more...).
- Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law This link opens in a new windowBrings together a multitude of essential legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world. (more...).
- Women's Studies Manuscript Collections from the Schlesinger Library: Voting Rights, National Politics, and Reproductive Rights This link opens in a new windowWomen's history, primary sources (more...).
- World Digital Library (WDL) This link opens in a new windowPrimary resources, world history (more...).