THIST 101 Introduction to History Methods - Sundermann: Primary Sources
What is a primary source?
The collection and analysis of primary sources is central to historical research. A primary source can take many forms: letters, memos, newspapers, diaries, film, photographs, speeches, government reports, British parliamentary debates, sermons, magazines, web sites, etc. Often they are created during the time period which is being studied (correspondence, diaries, newspapers, government documents), but they can also be produced later by eyewitnesses or participants (memoirs, oral histories).
You may find primary sources in their original format such as in an archive. You may also find them as recently published book collections (often called a "documentary history"), microfilm, electronic databases, digitized images, etc.
UW Libraries Search
UW Libraries Search
Search terms for primary sources
Combine any of the terms below with your topic or concepts when you search UW Libraries Search. You can also limit your searches by date ranges
- documents
- papers
- records
- diaries
- journals
- letters or correspondence
- narratives (as in personal narratives)
- photographs or images
- advertisements
- speeches
- sermons
- bills
- laws
- treaties
Published primary source collections
Winston and Clementine: the Letters of the ChurchillsRequest from Suzzallo/Allen
These letters provide rare and revealing insights into both the great political and social events of a turbulent century and the intimate world of an extraordinary partnership.
Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-Racial BritainRequest from Suzzalo/Allen
In 1948, hundreds of immigrants from the Caribbean made a journey across the Atlantic in an ageing merchant ship. This book is a collection of the memories of people who became the symbolic founders of Britain's black communities.
Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for BritainRequest from Suzzallo/Allen
This book brings together voices from both sides of the Blitz and the Battle of Britain. Soldiers, airmen, fire-fighters, air-wardens and civilians, people in the air and on the ground, give an account of Britain under siege.
Black Britain: A Photographic History by Request from Summit
People of African and Caribbean descent have inhabited the British Isles for centuries. Paul Gilroy, renowned for his work exploring the social and cultural dimensions of black Britishness, has assembled a living history of black people in the British Isles.
Hidden Lives: A Family MemoirRequest from Suzzalo/Allen
Primary sources: Newspapers
The Times (of London) Digital Archive (UW Restricted) provides full-text searching of newspaper articles spanning the twentieth century.
The Guardian and The Observer (UW Restricted) provides full-text searching of newspaper articles from 1791 - 2003.
Online Primary Source Collections: 20th Century United Kingdom
- Cabinet Papers, 1915 - 1977Digitized UK Cabinet Papers, for 1915 - 1977; papers can be downloaded from the National Archives.
- British PeriodicalsFull-text collection of 18th, 19th and some early 20th century British magazines.
- British History OnlineContains some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles.
- British Library Images OnlineThousands of high quality images from the British Library's extensive collections.
- British Library Online GalleryA collection of tens of thousands of digital images from the British Library.
- Hansard, 1803 - 2005Debates from Parliament
- Images of EmpireImages of Empire from the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum is the largest dedicated online resource of still and moving images on the British colonial period.
- Imperial War Museum Online War CollectionA searchable collection of wide range of artifacts and documents from the Imperial War Museum. Almost 90,000 of them have digitized images, sound or video.
- More UK Primary SourcesCheck out this guide to primary sources related to British and Irish history, created by UW Libraries History Librarian Teresa Mudrock.