HIST 3531 - History of Africa since 1800: Find Primary Sources

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 topic and perspective, primary sources can include:

• Original Documents (autobiographies, personal correspondence and diaries, speeches and oral histories, newspapers, government documents, recordings, photographs, and maps)
• Creative Works
• Relics or Artifacts

[Image: Madagascan School. c. 1820. Streetscape. painting. Place: Musée du quai Branly. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ARMNIG_10313258683..]

Unpublished primary sources are original documents and objects created by individuals but not formally published. Unpublished materials are typically found in archives, libraries, and museums. While researching unpublished materials often requires a physical visit, many make them available online. 

• Wordcat First Search

• ArchiveGrid

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 (e.g. Sources and Methods in African History) 

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

Additional Archival Databases
Additional Historical Newspaper Databases