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- THIST 101 Introduction to History Methods (online) -- Sundermann
- Primary Sources: British History
THIST 101 Introduction to History Methods (online) -- Sundermann: Primary Sources: British History
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.
Historic newspapers & magazines
- Guardian 1821-2003 & Observer 1791-2003
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British newspapers The Guardian & its Sunday partner paper The Observer
- Trench Journals and Unit Magazines of the First World War This link opens in a new window
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Primary source periodicals written by and for servicemen and women of all nations during the First World War.
- Suffrage JournalsCollection of two suffrage journals. The Common Cause was the journal of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies and was published from 1909 to 1920. Helena Swanwick was its first editor. Votes for Women was the journal of the Women's Social and Political Union, funded and co-edited by Emmeline and Frederick Pethick Lawrence. It was published from 1907 by St Clement's Press.
Published primary source collections
Beyond Rosie: A Documentary History of Women and World War IIAvailable as an ebook
The primary documents (newspapers, propaganda posters, cartoons, excerpts from oral histories and memoirs, speeches, photographs, and editorials) collected here represent cultural, political, economic, and social perspectives on the diverse roles women played during World War II.
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.
War Posters: Weapons of Mass CommunicationCovering bothh the onset of the Great War in 1914 and World War II this book charts the poster's evolution as a tool of protest and counter-culture.
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.
Digital archives & collections
- African Diaspora, 1860-Present This link opens in a new window
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Sources covering the diaspora with a focus on communities in the Caribbean and United Kingdom. Includes UK Colonial and Foreign Office records, magazines such as the West Indian Digest & more.
- House of Commons Parliamentary Papers This link opens in a new window
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Parliamentary papers including Bills, Command Papers, Reports & Hansard's debates for the 19th & 20th centuries (through the 2003/2004 session).
- Mass Incarceration and Prison Studies This link opens in a new window
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Primary sources and reference materials covering crucial global trends in mass incarceration and the detailed prison infrastructure of specific countries.