Primary sources are original materials. They are first-hand accounts from the time period involved and may include:
How to read and evaluate a primary source
Primary Source Analysis Tool; Library of Congress, Click on the ? to help you fill in the categories
Secondary sources are created after the fact by individuals or groups who did not witness the events being discussed. They interpret, report, or correlate subjects based on their study of primary material. It is inevitable that we all interpret events of the past through the lens of our own experience, but reputable scholars attempt to minimize subjectivity.
Major Canadian newspapers as well as many small-market newspapers.
British Columbia Historical Newspapers Online - Over 130 years of BC history from 33 small town newspapers. Searchable by keyword or date.
Dictionary of Historic Documents
Milestone Documents in World History
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook - A huge site offering access to a very large number of primary sources, organized by civilization (Greece, Rome, Persia, Egypt, etc.) and then by topic. There are some secondary sources included as well, marked as "2nd".
Internet Modern History Sourcebook - a huge site offering access to a large number of primary sources, organized by topic (nationalism, imperialism, French Revolution, Nazism, etc.). There are some secondary sources included, identified as "2nd".
Internet Islamic History Sourcebook - a huge site offering access to a large number of primary sources, organized chronologically and by Islamic group. There are some secondary sources included as well, identified as "2nd."
Internet Jewish History Sourcebook - a huge site offering access to a large number of primary sources, organized chronologically. Some secondary sources are included as well, identified as "2nd."
Early Canadiana Online - Aboriginal Studies - documents dated 1900-1945
Indigenous History (Library and Archives Canada) - documents relating to First Nations, Métis Nation citizens and Inuit
NINES - Nineteenth Century Scholarship Online - Comprised of over 800,000 items, this peer-reviewed archive contains primary documents in the history, literature, and art of the long nineteenth century (1770-1920), British and American. Search by topic and narrow your search by facet.
World War I Document Archive - This site attempts to gather together the majority of primary documents concerning the Great War - treaties, diaries, images, etc. There is also a section dedicated to the war at sea and another to the war's medical aspects.
WW2 - Peoples' War (BBC) - This archive of 47,000 stories and 15,000 images records the memories of WW2 in Britain.
Cold War International History Project - This digital archive consists of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War. It is searchable by collection (topic) or by geographic location.
CURIOSity Digital Collection - Harvard University
Digital Collections at UBC - an eclectic collection of digitized documents and photos ranging from the letters of Charles Darwin and Florence Nightingale to World War I photos and medieval Japanese maps.
The Avalon Project - Documents in law, history, and diplomacy, dating from ancient times to the present day. "Document collections" will yield a subject listing that groups like documents together.
Oxford's Maps on the Web - Approximately 1000 historic images from the collection of the Bodleian Library. Searchable by title, subject, or name of cartographer.
Historical Map Archive - this site contains jpeg images of many useful historic maps organized both by region and by theme (World War I and II, American Revolution, Railroads, etc.)
Studies in Scarlet - Narratives of legal trials from the U.S. and U.K dealing with domestic violence, bigamy, seduction, breach of promise to marry, and the custody of children, as well as trials for murder and rape during the period 1815-1914. Included are such items as an account of the adultery trial of Caroline, Queen Consort of George IV and the sodomy trial of Oscar Wilde.
The social and economic data of Canada from 1867 to 1967, with historical text, tables, charts and maps. Browse by year or topic.
An online archive of the Canadian war experience as told through the letters and images of Canadians themselves.
This site contains over 1000 tables displaying social and economic data from 1867 to the mid-1970s. Topics include population, health, labour, resource industries, education, housing, and many others.
An extensive collection of early maps organized around various themes - native peoples, exploration and expansion.
JL 61 B78 1969 (L)
Documents relating to the formation of Canada
Beginning with the first session of Parliament in 1867, this site reports the proceedings of the government up until 1996.
the verbatim debates of the House of Commons. Search under "Select a Session" for the years 1996 through 2013.
transcripts of the debates of the Senate back to 1996.
Debates of the Senate from 1867 to 1996
Even before Confederation in 1867, the colony of Canada had a legislature. Although no official records were kept, detailed accounts of these debates were reported in newspapers. The records at this site cover the dates from 1841-1851
This website contains both an online bibliography of books, pamphlets, and other materials related to the history of the Prairies, as well as a searchable full-text collection of many of these items.
Newspaper articles, interviews, photographs, print and other primary material relating to the experience of Canada’s multi-ethnic communities, much of it in non-English languages.
Included are letters, personal accounts, and official documents relating to the experiences of African Americans fleeing slavery in the United States.
UBC's Chung Collection is comprised of archival documents, photographs, books and artifacts related to three broad themes: British Columbia History, Immigration and Settlement and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Contains much material related to the Asian and Scottish immigrant experience.
A digital collection of historic photographs documenting the geographic area of Alaska, Western United States and the Canadian provinces of Yukon Territory and British Columbia, this collection features images of the Gold Rush of 1898-1900, mining activities, street scenes, First Nations peoples of the region, hunting and fishing, transportation, and World War II installations.
Documents relating to the history of revolutionary socialism and the views and activities of Marxists in Canada in the 20th Century.
Recounts the 1919 Allied attempts to defeat Lenin’s Bolsheviks. The mission failed — in the face of a robust partisan insurgency, divided Allied strategies, and heated domestic opposition.
The Simon Fraser University Library Editorial Cartoons Collection contains over 9300 original drawings published in Canadian newspapers between 1952 and the present.
Although there have been several different government bodies responsible for aboriginal affairs in Canada at various times (see "history" on this site), this useful site pulls all their annual reports together. Also included for 1902-1922 is "Schedules of Indian Bands, Reserves and Settlements", a separate publication that reports the location and status of aboriginal lands annually during that time period.
Dating from 1893 to 1950, the diaries of one of our more eccentric Prime Ministers consist of nearly 50,000 pages.
Dating from 1994, these can be searched by date, author, title, or subject
Canadian government publication extolling the value of thrift and economy in the home as a way to help the Canadian war effort in World War I. Includes piece by Stephen Leacock. Interesting table on cost of living during war years showing price for many foodstuffs, fuel and rent.
African Online Digital Library - based at Michigan State University
Global African History - Reproduces important documents concerning African history from the Treaty of Berlin in 1885 to the Constitution of South Africa in 1996
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Voyages - Provides information on some 35,000 voyages that transported approximately 10 million African slaves to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries. Charts and maps can be generated.
Apartheid Museum South Africa - eBooks to understand Apartheid
Truth and Reconciliation Commission ; South Africa - includes links to the final report
Pan-Asianism: A Documentary History
Voices of South Asia: Essential Readings from Antiquity to the PresentSouth Asia
East Asia
The Mayan Chronicles - A collection of Mayan records originally taken from the "Books of Chilan Balam".
The Florentine Codex - Otherwise known as the "Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España" ("General history of the things of New Spain")
Codex Mendoza - Before the Spanish invaded what is now Mexico, the pre-Hispanic cultures of that region used codices - "pictorial and iconic documents" - to preserve and transmit their histories, cultures, and values.
European primary historical documents covering a broad range of historical happenings (political, economic, social and cultural).The order of documents is chronological and includes video or sound files, maps, databases, and other documentation.
Explore 58,246,083 artworks, artefacts, books, films and music from European museums, galleries, libraries and archives
A comprehensive collection of primary source materials documenting Germany's political, social, and cultural history from 1500 to the present. It comprises original German texts accompanied by English translations and images.
Reproduces both the original propaganda as well as material produced for the guidance of propagandists, translated into English
documents relating to the trial of military and political leaders of Nazi Germany before the International Military Tribunal
Lists of links to primary sources for western, southern, eastern, and northern Europe.
a huge site offering access to a large number of primary sources, organized by topic. There are a few secondary sources included as well - these are marked as "2nd".
an introduction to the French Revolution as well as an archive of some of the most important documentary evidence from the Revolution, including 338 texts and 245 images
a digital version of the key research sources of the French Revolution: legal documents, pamphlet literature, belles lettres, musical compositions, and imagery
Revolutionary Duchess: The Elbeuf Letters, 1788-1794
The Elbeuf Letters database provides a digital edition of the writings of the duchess of Elbeuf, a hostile witness to Revolutionary events between 1788 and 1794.
Four Russian Serf Narratives
Revolutionary Russia: A History in DocumentsHistory of Russia (EuroDocs) - Includes texts and links to other sources for Russian history.
Russian Archives Online - "The historic collections of RAO’s archives contain a treasure trove of film and photo content from Russia and the fifteen republics of the former Soviet Union, including Soviet Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Latvia, Estonia, Uzbek and many more."
Seventeen Moments in Soviet History - Collection of texts, images, maps and audio and video materials from the Soviet era (1917-1991). The materials are arranged by year and by subject, are fully searchable, and are translated into English. Topics include Soviet propaganda, politics, economics, society, crime, literature, art, dissidents and more.
Soviet Union - Collection of digitized artifacts from the Hoover Institution, including more than 3000 Soviet political posters.
The book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian (Book 1) -Marco Polo's account of his travels to the East, including his visit to the Mongol court of Kublai Khan in ~1275.
Marxist Internet Archive - Presents selected writings of important figures in the Marxist movement ("library").