Primary Sources
"A primary source is a 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."
https://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html
Digitized page images of over 1,100 historic American magazines, journals, and newspapers. Coverage is late 18th through the 19th century. The majority of places of publication are New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, although Cincinnati newspapers are well-represented. Publications from smaller cities are available.
Electronic version of Harper's Weekly from the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, 1857-1871. Provides information and insights on political, military and social issues and events prior to and during the Civil War. Includes news, editorials, stories, illustrations, book reviews, serialized novels, advertising and maps from the weekly. It also includes biographical information about period leaders.
HeinOnline has more than 120 million pages of legal history available in an online, fully-searchable, image-based format. HeinOnline also contains the Congressional Record Bound volumes in entirety, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, famous world trials dating back to the early 1700’s, legal classics from the 16th to the 20th centuries, the United Nations and League of Nations Treaty Series, all United States treaties, the Federal Register from inception in 1936, the CFR from inception in 1938, and much more.
Provides digital access, through a partnership with the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) to the most comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1684 and 1820. This collection, Series 1, contains more than 500 titles.
Provides digital access, through a partnership with the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) to the most comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1821-1837. Represents the Jacksonian Democracy era in history and is broad in scope with subjects including agriculture, entertainment, history, literary criticism, and politics.
Provides digital access, through a partnership with the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) to the most comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1838-1852. Periodicals in this series reveal a rapidly growing young nation, where industrialization, the railroads, regional political differences, and life on the western frontier were daily realities.
Provides digital access, through a partnership with the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) to the most comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1853-1865. This series of periodicals focuses on the Civil War and a diverse record of the continuance of daily life for many Americans—both leading up to and during the war.
Provides digital access, through a partnership with the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) to the most comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1866 and 1912. This series of periodicals reflects a nation that persevered through a difficult set of circumstances, and provides coverage of broad subject areas that reach into every facet of American life.
Contains correspondence, notes, manuscripts, student papers, maps, and photographs related to the Underground Railroad. Also, includes books; diaries; newspaper articles; biographies and memoirs; state, county, and local histories; annual reports; trial records; U.S. and Canadian census reports; legislation; and Congressional speeches.
See "Ohio History Primary Sources" tab in this guide.
