Armacost Library: HIST 327: Modern African American History: Primary Sources

Primary Sources

Some definitions

The definition of a primary source varies depending upon the academic discipline and the context in which it is used.

In the humanities, a primary source could be defined as something that was created either during the time period being studied or afterward by individuals reflecting on their involvement in the events of that time.
In the social sciences, the definition of a primary source would be expanded to include numerical data that has been gathered to analyze relationships between people, events, and their environment.
In the natural sciences, a primary source could be defined as a report of original findings or ideas. These sources often appear in the form of research articles with sections on methods and results.

Primary sources in context

The nature of a source is determined by the way a researcher makes use of it. The same item might be considered a primary source in one investigation and a secondary source in another. For example, a speech about the Declaration of Independence that was delivered by a noted statesman on its hundredth anniversary would be secondary source for a scholar studying the document's philosophical origins. But, it would be a primary source for a scholar studying how the Declaration's meaning has changed for Americans over time.

The value of a source is also determined by its use. A memoir written by a signer of the Declaration of Independence years after the event would be of much more importance to a historian studying the debates of the Continental Congress than would the diary entry of an individual who lived in Philadelphia in 1776, but had no personal interaction with the Congress or its members.

Examples by discipline

The sources available to you in your undergraduate research could often be more accurately described as primary source surrogates. For example, instead of examining an individual's diary directly, you may find yourself using reproduced images of its pagesor, more likely yet, a typed transcription of its contents. Or, instead of experiencing a sculpture firsthand, you may be dependent upon photographs of it. Obviously, some primary source surrogates are better than others.

If you are unsure of what would be considered a primary source for your particular project, ask your professor for examples. The following is an incomplete list of things that might be considered primary sources by different academic disciplines.

Anthropology
artifact, field notes, fossil, photograph
Art
architectural model or drawing, building or structure, letter, motion picture, organizational records, painting, personal account, photograph, print, sculpture, sketch book
Biology
field notes, plant specimen, research report
Economics
company statistics, consumer survey, data series
Engineering
building or structure, map, geological survey, patent, schematic drawing, technical report
Government
government report, interview, letter, news report, personal account, press release, public opinion survey, speech, treaty or international agreement
History
artifact, diary, government report, interview, letter, map, news report, oral history, organizational records, photograph, speech, work of art
Law
code, statute, court opinion, legislative report
Literature
contemporary review, interview, letter, manuscript, personal account, published work
Music
contemporary review, letter, personal account, score, sound recording
Psychology
case study, clinical case report, experimental replication, follow-up study, longitudinal study, treatment outcome study
Sociology
cultural artifact, interview, oral history, organizational records, statistical data, survey

Source: "Primary Sources: What are they?" Lafayette College Library.

Digital Primary Sources

Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 "[C]ontains more than 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves. These narratives were collected in the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project (FWP) of the Works Progress Administration, later renamed Work Projects Administration (WPA). At the conclusion of the Slave Narrative project, a set of edited transcripts was assembled and microfilmed in 1941 as the seventeen-volume Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves."
Making of America "The Cornell University Library Making of America Collection is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. This site provides access to 267 monograph volumes and over 100,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints."
In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture exibit. "In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience presents a new interpretation of African-American history, one that focuses on the self-motivated activities of peoples of African descent to remake themselves and their worlds."
A Guide to Harlem Renaissance Materials "African-American expressions of writing, music, and art during the 1920s and 1930s are well represented in the vast collections of the Library of Congress. This guide presents the Library's resources as well as links to external Web sites on the Harlem Renaissance and a bibliography."
Umbra Search "Umbra Search African American History seeks to make African American history more broadly accessible through a freely available widget and search tool, umbrasearch.org; digitization of African American materials across University of Minnesota collections; and support of students, educators, artists, and the public through residencies, workshops, and events locally and around the country."
AAS21: A 21st Century Archive for African American Studies

Digital Primary Sources: News Sources

Time Magazine Archive Time magazine provides a digital archive to content from 1923 to 2011.
Independent Voices "Independent Voices is a digital collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals, drawn from the special collections of participating libraries. These periodicals were produced by feminists, dissident GIs, campus radicals, Native Americans, anti-war activists, Black Power advocates, Hispanics, LGBT activists, the extreme right-wing press and alternative literary magazines during the latter half of the 20th century."
Historical New York Times
Google Magazines Archive A digital archive of popular magazines such as Ebony, LIFE, and Black Enterprise.
Google News Advanced Search A digital archive of newspapers from across the United States. Must use the Advanced Search function to limit to a specific time frame.