How I Use Old Newspapers in the Classroom

Hey friend! Welcome back to another post! Today, I am going to talk about how I use old newspapers in my classroom lectures. But first, let’s take a step back and talk about why I do this!

Right after I finished my master’s program I began my Active Historian blog and instagram. I had an awesome opportunity to work with the Remedial Herstory Project for a few months and was doing some research for them and stumbled across a JSTOR article that talked about how a teacher utilized newspapers in the classroom. So, I took the idea from the article and modified it to fit my own classroom needs. I will put the article name and title below! You should be able to make a free account on JSTOR to read the article 🙂

Erica A. Morin. “Extra! Extra! Read All About It!: Structuring the U.S. History Survey Around the Motif of the Newspaper.” The History Teacher 46, no. 2 (2013): 283–92. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43265165.

Daily Newspaper Readings

Alright, let’s talk about how I implement newspapers in my daily lessons and for a special projects. I think one important thing as educators is relating to the students in terms they understand and one thing students understand today is social media. Newspapers were considered to be the social media of the day!

Newspapers were the social media of the day!

I asked my students on the first day how many of them use social media of any kind and they all raised their hands. I had their attention and they were interested in hearing more. I explained to them how newspapers were essentially the social media of the day. That’s how people spread news quickly – kind of like a tweet on twitter or a viral tik-tok video!

At the beginning of every class, I put a slide on the screen that has actual headlines clipped from real newspapers about events I plan to discuss in class that day. I ask my students to read the headlines out loud – we don’t continue until all the headlines have been read aloud. Having my students read the headlines aloud gives them a chance to participate in the class.

Then, I ask the students what they think we’ll be talking about that day. Somedays they answer with the events that were read aloud and other days they put together the big picture and are able to connect all of the concepts to a movement or larger ideology.

Below is an example of one of the newspaper slides that I begin class with every day.

This is an example of one of the slides I use in my US History class.
*I don’t own the copyright to any of the newspaper articles and clipped them from a database.

I asked my students whether they like this activity or not and most students have responded positively. They like that they can come into class and read the headlines to themselves before class even begins. One student said they liked this because they knew what class would be about that day and it wasn’t necessarily a surprise.

Newspaper Project

My students liked the newspaper headlines at the beginning of class so I wanted another way to introduce more primary source materials into my lecture. For one class, I decided to have my students use the free newspaper database – Chronicling America – to look at old newspapers.

I divided the class into four groups. I gave each group a topic to research and had them prepare a “5 o’clock new broadcast” about the topic using actual headlines from the period. I had the students look up topics like the Vietnam War and the Red Scare. The topics need to be broad to give the students room to talk about topics which interest them. I did this activity at the end of class after lecturing so the students also used information from the lecture in their presentations.

Each group designed their own “news anchor” who read the group’s “news story” to the entire class. It was a fun way for students to engage with primary sources, work together, and grapple with the topics we discussed that week. Most students seemed to like the activity!

Concluding Thoughts

Hey friend, I hope this article gives you some inspiration to try using old newspapers in your classroom! If you use newspapers in another way in your classroom – let me know! I am always looking to try new activities! Also, if you give the newspaper slide a try drop me a message too – I’d love to hear about it! You can also tag me on Instagram (@the_active_historian) or on Twitter (@ActiveHistorian).

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

How to Label Old Family Photos

Hey friend! Welcome back to another article! Today, we’re talking about how to label old photographs. As someone who uses old family photographs in my research, it makes my job 100% easier when someone has previously labeled the photos! So today, I am going to teach you how to label photos, what kind of writing utensils to use, and what kind of information you should write on the back photos to make future historian’s jobs easier. Let’s get started! 🙂

How to Label Old Photos

  1. Handle the images along the edges. There is nothing worse than leaving fingerprints on old photographs…
  2. Use a #2 pencil for labeling on paper items. This is the best thing to use because it’s easily erasable if a mistake is made.
  3. Find a spot on the back of the photo to label it, or at the very least a discreet location.
  4. Include the names of people, date, and location on the photo. PLEASE. There is nothing worst than finding an unlabeled photo and not being able to figure out who the people are… It makes me so, so sad.
  5. Also, label the Digital files as well! Name, date, and location is a good place to start.

What Writing Utensils to Use

Please use a #1 or #2 pencil when labeling old photos. They are soft and likely won’t puncture the photo. Remember to write lightly so that the writing doesn’t show through on the front.

What Information Goes on the Back of Photos

Please include the following information on the photos you label.

NAME

DATE

LOCATION

These are just the basic things that a photo label needs! There’s no need to stress out on trying to include an entire story! But if you want to write more then feel free to do that as well. All future historians and archivists will be forever grateful to you for your labeling effort! 🙂

Concluding Thoughts

I hope this article gave you some useful tips on how to label old family photographs. Preserving family history is so, so important and I am glad that you are taking the steps to preserve yours! Keep up the great work!

I have a few other articles about family history! I’ve linked them below for you to check out!

How to Write Your Family History

How to Conduct an Oral History

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

Where to Find Digitized Secondary Sources

Hey there, Friend! Welcome! Today we’re talking about where to find Digitized Secondary Sources for research papers, projects, and more. If you need primary sources for your project – I encourage you to check out this article next: The Best Places to Find Digitized Primary Sources.

Now you might be wondering what a secondary source is, well, it’s secondhand account of an event, person, movement, or thing. Secondary sources include articles, books, encyclopedias, etc. They are useful in summarizing events and for broad learning! Personally, I love reading secondary sources to see how other historians have written about certain topics. Let’s get started!

JSTOR

JSTOR is a great platform for research articles. You can make a free account and read 100 articles per month. If you are a college/university student or faculty member you will have access to more articles.

Bonus Tip: Make sure to check out what other databases your institution has access to! There are a lot of cool databases for all kinds of degrees!

Public Library Systems

The public library is one of the most under-utilized community assets in my opinion. Many public libraries now have digital and audio book platforms where you can rent books for FREE.

Seriously, go check out the public library! It’s also a great place to work on your project because they’re usually quiet.

Scribd or Audible

Scribd and Audible are both apps that you will have to pay for. Personally, I use Scribd and love it! There are hundreds of books, articles, audiobooks, PDFs, and more on a number of topics. I love listening to the audiobooks during workouts or while cleaning the house.

Archive.org

Archive.org is another one of those websites that is a treasure trove! There are primary and secondary sources here. All you have to do is create an account and you can access books for free! You have different options for how long you can rent the book, but if you run out of time and don’t get it all read then all you have to do is check the book out again (This can be done instantly).

Bonus Tip: I was able to find some of the books I needed for graduate seminars on this website which saved me $$$.

Google Play

Google Play has several books that you can read! You can read some of them for free, but there are also others that you have to pay for. It’s worth checking out!

Google Scholar

Google Scholar is a great place to find scholarly articles in hundreds of fields! Check it out!

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a website full of public domain material. There are lots of books!

Hathi Trust – Digital Library

Hathi Trust is great for finding out of print and public domain books! Check it out!

Concluding Thoughts

Hey friend, thank you so much for reading. I hope you found a secondary source database that will help you complete that research paper or project. Good luck and happy reading/writing!

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

5 Fun Ways to Learn History!

Hey there friend! Today we’re going to talk about some of the fun ways to learn history that aren’t just reading a book… Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE reading a good book, but sometimes I like to switch things up a little bit! 

We are going to talk about 5 unconventional resources you can use to learn history without ever cracking open a book. Let’s get started!

1. History Lectures / Public Talks

I love listening to history lectures and public talks. The great thing about attending university and graduate school is the sheer amount of free lectures you can attend. I was able to attend many lectures on different topics and learned something new every time. 

Bonus Tip: Always take a notebook with you to public talks and lectures. You can write down the things that you learned or you can draw inspiration from the talk for your own project. 

Many universities, libraries, and public institutions have shifted most of their talks to a virtual/digital format. I LOVE this because I have been able to attend talks from across the United States! It is so refreshing to hear new ideas and scholarship from someone I wouldn’t typically have been able to see before. I hope that the virtual format is something that continues in the future! 

2. History Videos / TV Shows / Movies

I think that history videos, tv shows, and movies are instrumental tools in beginning the conversation around certain historical topics. Many people will sit down and watch tv after school or work, but many won’t pick up a book. This is why it is important for historical interpretations to be as accurate as possible. 

Many streaming services have a history category on their platform! 

3. Talking with people who lived through historical events 

I am a big fan of oral history and have written about it before on my blog. Here’s the link in case you missed it!

I love talking with people who lived through historical events. Hearing the stories from someone who lived through them adds a special touch to history that you may not necessarily get when you are just reading a book. Representing many perspectives of a lived experience is crucial in telling accurate history! 

4. History Podcasts

So, history podcasts have been around for a few years, but I have really only gotten into them within the past year and half. There are so many good shows to listen to out there right now. I have actually had the privilege of being a guest speaker on three shows! They’re linked here, if you’re interested in giving them a listen. 

Podcasts are a great way to learn about new topics without having to commit to a 300-400 page book. Most podcasts give you enough information to decide whether or not you want to do research further on a topic. For example, I listened to a great episode about vikings because I had previously done a paper on another viking settlement. I learned something new and it only took 30 minutes. 

Bonus Tip: Podcasts are an easy way to digest a lot of history in a short amount of time. I love listening to them when I workout or go for a walk. I have friends who like to listen to them when they drive to work. The point is, there is time to listen to a podcast if you want to! 

5.  Board Games / Video Games

Board games and video games are another great way to engage with historical subjects. These games often allow you to assume a historical character’s role in the game and you play through the sequence of history. It’s a fun way to interact with the material. 

Concluding Thoughts

I hope this short list of resources gives you a few new ideas of ways to make history fun and engaging! If you have other ways that you like to make history fun and engaging please leave me a comment at the end of this post! I would love to hear your thoughts! 

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂 

Where to Find Primary Sources for Women’s History

Hey there, friend! Today we’re talking about where to find primary sources for researching and teaching women’s history! 

Sometimes it can be hard to find primary sources that blatantly talk about women and women’s history. As historians and researchers, we are taught to look for certain voices in unique places and sources. This article will give you several ideas of places to look to find women’s voices. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it can be used as a starting point for your next project! Remember, representation matters in your research and curriculum so make sure to include multiple points of view and experiences! 

Here are several places to look for women’s voices in the primary sources!

Letters

Letters are a great place to look for women in the historical record. Many women corresponded with their family which can give an insight in to family histories. 

Diaries

Diaries are personal and intimate records of the writer and should be treated with respect. Women often kept detailed records of their day, family, and towns. Diaries are such a good source! 

Newspapers

Newspapers often tell stories of the prominent women in a city or town. It also important to remember newspaper stories can be sensationalized and should be read in the context of the time. 

Church Records

Churches and preachers often kept detailed records of their congregations and members. Some women also acted as missionaries and kept their own detailed concerning their daily activities and the people they were working with. 

Court Records

Court records sometimes contain records for women. It really depends on the time period you’re studying for this source, but I definitely recommend checking them out if possible!

School Records

School records are so valuable for researching women! Women were often teachers and they kept the school records. You can also look for records at the district or county levels to find more information. 

Books

The inside cover of books or old family Bibles sometimes have names or important dates written inside the covers! So always make sure to look inside the old books you find in the archive or when going through old things!

Photos

Old photo albums and records are a treasure trove for researching women. Sometimes women are the focal point of the photo, but other times they are in the background and that can help give the researcher a clue as to what women were doing at the time. 

Bonus Tip: Some photos even have words written along the bottom or on the back of the image. These hints are invaluable when researching a person or family. 

Physical Objects & Artifacts

Physical objects and artifacts allow you to tell a person’s story visually. These objects are great for presentations, museum exhibits, and classroom demonstrations. 

Magazines & Advice Literature

Magazines and advice literature for women help you see what was considered “proper” for a woman in the time period that you are studying. This kind of literature was extremely popular in the nineteenth century. 

Autobiographies

Autobiographies are awesome because they were often written by the person you are studying or by someone close to them. This source allows you to understand how this person wanted to be remembered and what parts of their life that they considered important. 

Interviews

Interviews are a great primary source because you have words spoken by the person you are studying. How cool is that! You have to be careful with this type of source though. Make sure that you do adequate background research on the events the person is talking about. 

Speeches

Again, speeches are great because they are words that were actually spoken by the person you are researching. Women’s speeches are much more rare, especially depending on the time period that you are looking at. 

Bonus Tip: Modern speeches have often been photographed or recorded as well so make sure to look for a visual to match the audio or text that you found! 

Concluding Thoughts

The primary sources above are just a few of the places you can look to find women’s voices. Many of these sources can be scaled to the appropriate age for your classroom or project. I hope this list is helpful and that you add more women to the dialogue. 

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂 

How to Conduct an Oral History

Hey there, friend! Today we are talking about oral history. What is oral history? How do I do oral history? Are oral histories valid sources? These are just a few of the topics we’ll cover! 

I didn’t actually study oral history while in school, I was fortunate to land an oral history internship position the fall after I completed my master’s degree. I got to work remotely with the oral historian at a museum and learned so much. 

The book that was most helpful for me to learn the oral history process was Donald A. Ritchie’s Doing Oral History: A Practical Guide. This book was loaded with lots of information and was an easy read. So check that book out if you need a more in depth explanation! I have done my best to sum up the main points and answer a few common questions that people ask me about oral histories. So… let’s get started! 

Topics Covered in this article:

  • What is an oral history?
  • Are oral histories important?
  • Are oral histories valid sources?
  • How do I conduct an oral history interview?
  • What kind of equipment/apps will I need?
  • Is there paperwork involved?
  • How do I record my family history?

What is oral history?

Oral history is the passing down of stories and events through telling stories. Oral history has been around for as long as anyone can remember. It was the original way to keep the past alive for future generations. 

Oral history involves a person telling their story and they are often referred to as the narrator. The narrator can talk about their own life, an event they lived through, or something they remember happening in their lifetime. Oral histories are unique because they place so much emphasis on a single person’s lived experience. 

Are oral histories important?

Yes. Oral histories are extremely important. Oral histories allow people to document their lived experience which adds a valuable point of view to the narrative of history. 

Oral histories can also be useful in documenting minority communities which have typically been left outside of traditional historical historic narratives. There are many amazing oral history projects across the United States which are capturing the voices of overlooked communities. These projects are crucial for telling an inclusive history that explains ALL sides of the story. 

Are oral histories valid sources?

Yes. I believe that oral histories are valid sources, but there are many other scholars out there who will say otherwise. Many people have issues with oral histories as primary sources because they argue that they’re told from only one person’s point of view. They argue that there could be subtle nuances between stories. 

I believe that oral histories are like any other source that you use for a project. The sources need to be double checked and cross-referenced. Oral histories are crucial in telling stories. 

How do I conduct an oral history interview?

There are a few steps to collecting an oral history and doing it the correct way. 

1). First, like any other project you want to start with a central question or gap in the collections. Which communities are not included in your collection? 

2). Second, you’ll want to conduct some background research on the community or area that you want to research in. See if you can find the names of prominent people (narrators) that were active in the community and write them down (even better if you can find their contact info at this time). After doing some initial research, you can start planning your project. 

3). You’ll want to reach out to two or three people (narrators) that you found contact information for. Explain to them what you are trying to do with your project and ask them if they would be interested in taking part. If they say no, thank them for their time and move on. Hopefully, some of the people you talk to will be interested in the project. 

BONUS TIP: Make sure that you know how to use your equipment before you try to interview a narrator. Practice with your family or friends! 

Next, send them your background paperwork to fill out. The legal documents for archive storing can also be in this packet. The background packet allows the narrator to tell you what they want to talk about and allows you to ask questions if needed. 

4). Set a date and time to interview your narrator. Make sure that they are comfortable – whether the interview is in their home, a museum, or other location. These interviews can also be done remotely via the phone or zoom. I will leave a list of apps that work good for this at the end of this article. 

BONUS TIP: Make sure that the narrator does not become fatigued while you are interviewing them. If necessary, you can schedule multiple recording sessions with the same narrator. 

5). Go over the legal paperwork again on the day of the interview and make sure that the narrator is comfortable. Ask the narrator to be in a quiet place so that their audio is clear. Complete the interview and thank the narrator for their time and being willing to share their stories. 

6). Process the interviews, create indexes in a document (key-word time stamps for the interview), and input the data into the database. You can contact your local archive or museum and ask if they would like to store the original tapes in their collections. 

What kind of equipment/apps will I need?

Oral histories can be recorded on a variety of devices. The following are all programs that I have personally used and were recommended by my mentor during my internship. 

  1. Garageband on a Mac computer collects great audio, but there are some time limits so you’ll need to take that into account. 
  2. The Voice Memos app on your phone also collects really good audio. 
  3. Rev call recorder is a great app that is free for your phone. You call someone through the app and it will say that the call is being recorded. 
  4. You can record an oral history using the Zoom or Skype apps on your computer. Just make sure to save the audio and video files separately. 

BONUS TIP: If you plan to record your narrator on video you will want to make sure that you have a tripod or something steady to sit the camera on. You can find tripods for cell phones and cameras relatively cheap online. Also, make sure that you have good lighting if you record your narrator. You can find ring lights online as well to help with the lighting situation. 

Is there paperwork involved?

Yes, there is paperwork involved in collecting an oral history. You will need to have the narrator sign legal documents. Then you will need to fill out any papers that a museum or archive might need for storage purposes. 

How do I record my family history?

Oral history is a great way to collect your family history. You can sit down with your family members and allow them to tell you the stories that they want to pass down to the next generation. 

Personally, I have been able to sit down with my Nana and Papa and record several of their stories. This has been such a rewarding experience and now future generations of my family will be able to see and hear them tell their own stories. 

BONUS TIP: Recording family histories will most likely take multiple sessions so plan accordingly. 

Concluding Thoughts

For more information, you can check out the Oral History Association’s website. They have step-by-step guides on how to do oral history and where to find the paperwork. They also have a list of several repositories with significant oral history collections. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn about oral histories and how to conduct them properly. I hope that these sources will help you in your next project.

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂 

Where to Find Public Domain Images for Your Next Project

Hey there friend! Have you ever needed a picture for your project, but not known where to find non-copyrighted images? Today, I am going to give you a list of places to find non-copyrighted images that are perfect for any project. I have personally used the websites in this post for my own projects and assignments. 

1). Smithsonian Open Access 

The Smithsonian has released millions of their images into the Public Domain. This collection includes images and objects from across their museum holdings. The home page for this website is linked here. (https://www.si.edu/openaccess

2). Library of Congress 

This applies to some of their collections and images. Make sure to click on the image you want to use and double check that is says CC0 or Public Domain. 

The Library of Congress has curated several sets of free to use images. They can be found here. (https://www.loc.gov/free-to-use/)

3). Flickr

Flickr is another cool platform to search for non copyrighted images. This website contains more stock photos than the previous two. 

There are several more websites out there that offer stock photos, but I haven’t used them so I don’t want to talk about them.

Bonus Tips & Ideas

Many archives will let you use their photos if you email them and ask for permission. You will want to email their contact person – make sure to be extra nice! Some archives will ask for citations, while other may ask you to pay a fee to use their image. Either way, make sure that you comply with their rules! 

Another good option is to take your own photos for your project! Many smart phones today have amazon cameras and you can capture lots of good footage. Make sure that you film in the orientation that is best for your project: portrait or landscape. You can then import the images into an app or download them to your computer to edit them! 

You can also create handwritten, drawn, or digital abstract designs for your project! There are a lot of apps out there so check them out and get creative! 

Concluding Thoughts

*It is important to note that CC0 and Public Domain images are the ones being discussed in this article. There are more copyright laws that get kind of messy, but I will let you look into that route!

Here is a list of places to find primary sources that you can check out next! I hope this helps for your next project!

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂 

10 Tips to Nail Your Next Presentation

Hey there! I’m assuming you have a presentation to give sometime soon! That’s awesome! Today, I am going to give you several tips to give an engaging presentation. 

I have presented my research at multiple conferences – winning prizes at four of them! I love public speaking and engaging with the audience. My public speaking career began when I spoke in front of my FCA club my freshman year of high school. So, I guess you could say that I have had some time to practice. Let’s go ahead and get started. 

1. Make sure that you are dressed for the occasion.

You want to look professional and put together – no sweat pants or hoodies. Make sure that you’re wearing comfortable shoes too! 

2. Organize your equipment.

Double check that you have all the equipment you need for your presentation. This can include a computer, pointer/clicker, adapter cables, flash drive, hard copy of your presentation, etc.

BONUS TIP: Make sure to take a water bottle with you! 

3. Try to stay relaxed as possible when you’re in front of the room. 

Some conferences have chairs for you to sit in while other places will have you stand behind a podium. Just keep your body relaxed! 

4. Make eye contact with people in the audience. 

Sweep your gaze around the room and make eye contact with people in the audience. If you make eye contact with someone – smile at them! They’ll most likely smile back at you and this will help you feel more relaxed. 

5. Speak with confidence. 

You are the expert in the room once you start talking. Everyone is there to hear what you have to say! You put the hours into this presentation and should feel proud of your work! 

6. Don’t worry if you stumble over your words! 

Nobody is judging you, I promise. Bonus points if you are able to laugh at yourself. This will show other people in the room that you are still human and comfortable with yourself! 

7. Speak slowly and enunciate your words. 

Sometimes it’s easy to get nervous and you might start speaking quicker than usual. This makes it really hard for people to understand you. Just remember to take a deep breath, speak slowly, and enunciate your words. 

8. Make sure that you are projecting your voice. 

This is especially if the room doesn’t have a microphone set up for you to use. You might even start your presentation by asking if the people in the back of the room can hear you. If they can, that’s great! If not, you’ll have to speak louder. 

9. Make sure to thank the audience for their time and attention. 

Depending on the presentation this would be the time to ask if the audience has any questions. Try to answer as many questions as possible. Don’t make up something if you don’t know the answer to an audience member’s question. Simply tell them that it was an excellent question and that you don’t know the answer to it. Make a mental note of the question or write it down quickly! Audience questions can make your presentations better over time. 

10. After the presentation and question time is over, you can ask any friends or colleagues in the audience if they have any critiques of your performance. 

These need to be trusted people that will give you good advice that will make you a better professional speaker. 

Concluding Thoughts

*At conferences or symposiums: Carry a pen and notebook in your bag. You will want to take notes during other talks. I have learned so much from other people’s research. You can also take note of how other people present their research/talks.

I hope these tips help you out on your next presentation. You’re going to do great! I just know it! 

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂 

(Left) 2nd place finish for American History Graduate Students. My cohort swept the prizes for US History that year!
(Right) 3rd place finish for American History Graduate Students. Shout out to my friend for snapping the picture of me speaking!

The Best Places to Find Digitized Primary Sources

Hello – welcome back to my blog! Today I am going to tell you about my favorite places to find digitized primary sources. This article will be helpful for professional researchers, historians, and students needing to find evidence for their projects. 

Finding primary sources can be hard to begin with, but now that most archives are either closed or restricted it has become even more difficult… I know this firsthand. I finished and defended my Master’s Thesis in Summer 2020 and couldn’t go anywhere. So these are some of the resources that I used and some that I have found working as a research assistant.

Feel free to email me with other sources that you use and I will add them to this list! 

*Disclaimer: There are no paid ads in this article. I am only talking about the sources I have personally used and/or paid to use myself. 

1. archive.org 

This website is free and has saved my life on multiple occasions. They have digitized hundreds of thousands of primary source documents that you can look at. All you have to do is sign up for a free account. Then you are able to look at documents or “check them out” for two weeks much like a public library. They have also digitized thousands of secondary sources that are great for literature reviews and historiographical essays.

2. JSTOR

JSTOR has a free version of their website – all you have to do is make an account. Then there’s a workspace where you can save articles in folders for different projects. Unfortunately, you can’t access JSTOR’s entire collection, but you can access a ton of stuff. Students or faculty at colleges/universities will have access to more articles than people with only the free account.

BONUS TIP: If you are a student or faculty member at a university and can’t find the article you need, email your library on campus. They will often have an interlibrary loan or request section where they can purchase the article for you and send it your way. Save yourself time and money by using the library resources! 

3. Research Library Databases

Library databases are so helpful. Many libraries have or are working on digitizing their primary sources which makes their special collections more readily available for research. If the collection itself hasn’t been digitized many libraries have at least made their Finding Aids available online. 

For example, the Newberry Library has digitized thousands of documents! (https://www.newberry.org)

4. Digital Archives

Digital archives were huge for me while I was finishing my thesis. Many state historical societies in the US have digitized their holdings or at least made the Finding Aids available online. 

Many state archives might be wiling to scan the pieces of the collection you need for a small fee. Check out their website to see the rate or email the archivist to ask! I’ve communicated with many kind archivists and they are so helpful! ALWAYS BE NICE to the archivist!!!

5. Museum Collections

Digital museum collections are another great place to find primary sources. You can look at the items in their collections or you can check out their online exhibits. Most museums only have enough space to display 10% of their physical collection so digital catalogs allow them to display more items!

Many museums have digitized more and more of their collections due to the pandemic. This has made museum exhibits more widely available to larger audiences which means more people can view and love the collections. How cool is that!

6. Public Library Databases

Public libraries are another great place to find primary sources. Public libraries often have subscriptions to online databases which allow you to do primary source research. You can also do interlibrary loans through the public library – this is where they order books from other library systems for you. 

ALWAYS BE KIND to the librarians you communicate with online or over the phone. They might find extra materials and send them your way. I remember one librarian doing this for me and it made a huge difference in my research paper. Thank your librarian today!

7. SCRIBD

SCRIBD is a paid subscription service that I personally use for my research. They have digitized several primary source documents that you can view after paying a monthly fee. SCRIBD also has digitized secondary sources as well. Some are PDFS, some are digitized books, and others are audiobooks. Listening to secondary sources while running or doing chores has saved me so much time 🙂

8. ancestry.com or other genealogical sites

Personally, I use ancestry.com for my research. This is another source that you have to pay to access, but they have different prices depending on what kind of sources you need. I always find cool things when I look on Ancestry. For example, there are census records, military records, pictures, draft cards, directories, yearbooks and more! Check it out!

9. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

This database is run by the Library of Congress (another awesome database) and provides free access to newspaper across the United States. There are local, regional, and national newspapers in this databases. You can clip articles or see whole pages as PDFs. 

10. newspapers.com

This is another newspaper database, but it is a paid subscription. Personally, I think this is the easiest newspaper database to navigate. So it use this one the most! Most of my newspaper clippings on my instagram posts come from this website. 

Concluding Thoughts

This list will be updated as I find new databases! So I hope this becomes a resource that is really helpful for you! Thanks for reading!

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂