HIST 3030 - Women in the Civil War Era: Find Primary Sources: An Overview
This guide contains library and web-based information related to Dr. Turner's HIST 3030 - Women in the Civil War Era course.
Image Source: Cover from June 1867 issue. Unknown Author. Wikipedia.]
Libraries, Archives, and Museums
- Documenting the American South (UNC) Documenting the American South (DocSouth), a digital publishing initiative sponsored by the University Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides access to digitized primary materials that offer Southern perspectives on American history and culture. It supplies teachers, students, and researchers at every educational level with a wide array of titles they can use for reference, studying, teaching, and research.
- Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive This link opens in a new window Georgia historical newspapers (more...).
- Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) contains catalog records and digital images representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs Division and, in some cases, other units of the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress offers broad public access to these materials as a contribution to education and scholarship.
- National Museum of Civil War Medicine You can access two different types of Civil War primary sources from this page. Our curated bibliographies have primary sources related to Civil War medicine organized by topic ranging from nursing to battlefield evacuation and more. The searchable databases allow researchers to find the names of medical personnel who served at Antietam, patients treated in Frederick after Antietam, and those who appeared on Clara Barton’s published Rolls of Missing Men.
- Valley of the Shadow (Virginia Univ.) The Valley of the Shadow is a digital archive of primary sources that document the lives of people in Augusta County, Virginia, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, during the era of the American Civil War. Here you may explore thousands of original documents that allow you to see what life was like during the Civil War for the men and women of Augusta and Franklin.
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
The Advanced Search Form in Gil-Find (Catalog) is useful when you need to use more than one search term or need more detailed search options than those offered in a basic search.
Library Databases For Primary Sources
- African American Historical Serials Collection This link opens in a new window Newspapers, magazines, reports, annuals (more...)
- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection, Series 2 This link opens in a new windowAmerican periodicals published between 1821 and 1837.
- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection, Series 3 This link opens in a new windowAmerican periodicals published between 1838 and 1852.
- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection, Series 4 This link opens in a new windowAmerican periodicals published between 1853 and 1865.
- Digital Library of Georgia This link opens in a new window Georgia history and culture through digitized books, primary sources, photos, and video (more...).
- Civil War Primary Source Documents This link opens in a new window Primary documents, biographies, correspondence (more...)
Looking for more? Try the A-Z Database List. Use the dropdown menu to filter results to "Archives, Repositories, and Libraries"
Local Archival Repositories
- 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)
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
You can use Archive Grid to locate other archives and special collections across the United States. Search by individual, keyword, location, or specific library. You can also use one of the Worldcat search interfaces below:
- WorldCat (at OCLC FirstSearch) This link opens in a new windowBooks, multimedia held by libraries worldwide (more...).
- WorldCat (at worldcat.org) This link opens in a new windowBooks, multimedia held by libraries worldwide (more...).
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