BISGST 303: History & Globalization (Gardner): Primary Sources

Looking for even MORE primary sources? Check out the history research guides from the UW Seattle Campus. On the left side the page, click on "History by Region" and then follow the Primary Sources link on that sub-guide. Or follow "Primary Sources by Type" and then choose a category.

Examples of primary sources

Primary Source Database

Global Commodities
History and development of 15 major commodities through manuscripts, printed and visual primary source materials.

News & Magazines

Access World News
Includes full-text articles from hundreds of US and international news sources. (Select "World" from the left-hand column if you prefer to search sources outside of the US.)

British Periodicals
Full-text collection of 18th, 19th and some early 20th century British magazines

Historical New York Times
Articles from 1851-2010.

Colonization & Empire

Empire Online
Documents and other primary sources dealing primarily with the British Empire
Images of Colonialism
700+ images from late-19th and early-20th century trade cards and illustrated European newspapers of East Asia, South Asia and Africa

The Advertising Archives: Historical & Current Print Ads
A searchable collection of print and TV advertisements, magazine covers, cinema posters, comics, postcards, cigarette cards, and more.
Wellcome Images
Vast collection of historic images and digitized texts with an emphasis on social history (how people lived their lives and why).

Economic & Trade Data

Observatory of Economic Complexity
Visualization of international trade data.

Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources

Government/Intergovernmental Documents

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers
Legislation and reports from the British parliament, dating back to 1801.
USA.gov
Search all US government agencies!
Intergovernmental Organization Search Engine
A custom Google search that accesses documents from a variety of intergovernmental organizations (including the United Nations, World Bank, IMF, etc.).

Maps

Perry-Castaneda Map Collection
Maintained by the University of Texas at Austin, this is one of the largest online map collections.
Times Atlas of the World
In print! On the third floor of the UWB/CCC library.
UW Libraries Maps Research Guide
Useful for finding more online map resources.

Company or Industry Information

EIU Viewpoint
To access commodity info, click Data at the top, then the drop down of Commodity Prices, Production, and Consumption. Then, the drop down for prices, then your commodity. Under geographies, click the Aggregates drop down, then scroll down and choose World.
IBISWorld
Industry profiles for U.S., China, and worldwide sectors.

Hoover's
Use Hoover's to find out who are the major companies involved in your commodity. Try searching under "industries" first for your commodity name.

International Directory of Company Histories
Concise histories of over 8,500 companies; the companies may appear in more than one volume

UW Bothell Business Guide for Company Research

Interviews

YouTube is a great source for finding interviews with people involved in the production of your commodity.

You may also find interviews in newspapers or documentaries about your commodity.