LSC-North Harris Library Research Guides: HIST 1302 for Prof. Ball: Starting Point

What Are Primary Sources

What Are Primary Sources?

The above video explains the differences between primary and secondary sources.

In the study of history, primary sources refers to first-hand accounts of events. For example, some of your sources for research in World War I and World War II include:

Letters written by participants in the wars
Speeches and proclamations by leaders of these wars
Laws and regulations issued during these wars
Images, such as propaganda films and posters, made for these wars

Primary Sources for World War I

Here is an assortment of primary sources for research in World War I.

Woodrow Wilson's Presidential Documents
Look for those related to the war or dated within the US entry to the war.
Balfour Declaration
1917 British declaration in favor of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Documents of the Peace of Brest-Litovsk
The new Soviet Union signs a peace treaty with Germany and Russia exits the war.
Sykes-Picot Agreement
Britain and France agree to divide up the nations now known as Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Iraq, and northern Saudi Arabia after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire.
Woodrow Wilson's Declaration of Neutrality
1914 Presidential proclamation to keep the US out of the war.
Woodrow Wilson's First Warning to the Germans about Submarine Warfare
President Wilson threatens Germany not to attack neutral shipping with submarines in 1915.
Zimmerman Telegram
Germany proposes an alliance with Mexico in the event of war with the USA.
Wilson Requests a Declaration of War against Germany
President Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany on February 3, 1917.
The Espionage Act of 1917
Law that restricted the actions of the anti-war movement.
Schenk v. United States
The Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the Espionage Act in 1919.
Abrams v. United States
The 1919 dissent of Justice Holmes argues against the power of the federal government to restrict speech during wartime should be limited.
President Wilson’s Message on a Military Draft
Executive order on May 19, 1917 drafting men into the armed forces.
The Flu Pandemic of 1918
An American perspective on this worldwide event.
American Propaganda Posters
Wartime posters by artist Howard Chandler Christy.
Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points
President Wilson’s proposed peace plan.
Selections from the Treaty of Versailles
This 1919 treaty ended the war between the Allies and Germany.
The League of Nations Treaty
This 1919 treaty established the League of Nations.

Primary Sources for World War II

Here is an assortment of primary sources for research in World War II.

Neville Chamberlain Promises “Peace in Our Time”
British Prime Minister defends the Munich Agreement, handing over Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany in 1938.
Albert Einstein Urges President Roosevelt to Sponsor Atomic Bomb Research
1939 letter by Einstein urges the US to develop an atomic bomb before Germany does.
Lend-Lease Act
1941 law authorizes the US to lend, lease, or sell any material to any nation if deemed essential for the national defense. This allowed the US to sell war materials to the UK.
The Atlantic Charter
A 1941 agreement between the US and UK prior to US entering World War II.
Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Documents
Look for those related to the war or dated within the US entry to the war.
President Roosevelt Requests Congress Declare War on Japan
Roosevelt’s famous “day which will live in infamy” speech to Congress on December 8, 1941.
Executive Order 9066
In 1942, President Roosevelt orders the internment of Japanese-Americans.
Poem by Keiho Soga
Japanese-American interned in the United States.
Dick Clark Remembers the Death of His Brother
American television personality Dick Clark remembers being a teenager during World War II.
Zoot Suit Riots
Extract from a 1943 report to the Governor of California on riots in Los Angeles between Mexican-Americans and American servicemen.
Discrimination against Mexican-Americans in War Industries
Congressional testimony in 1945 about employment discrimination against American-Americans during the wartime labor shortage.
US Declarations of War against Japan, Germany, and Italy
Congressional and Presidential documents for these legal events.
Bretton Woods Agreement
1944 agreement between the US and UK to establish cooperative national monetary policies.
Cairo Conference
1943 agreement between the US, USSR, and UK that Chinese territory under Japanese control should be restored to China. At this point the USSR had not yet entered the war against Japan.
Tehran Conference
1943 agreement between the US, USSR, and UK in which the western Allies committed to invading France in 1944 and established joint policies for Yugoslavia, Turkey, and Bulgaria.
General Eisenhower's Message to Soldiers
Message issued to soldiers upon the Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
Surrender of Germany
German high command surrenders to General Eisenhower on May 7, 1945.
Establishment of the United Nations
1942 agreement of 26 nations to affirm the Atlantic Charter and establish a United Nations organization to shape the postwar world order.
United Nations Charter
The formal establishment and organization of the UN on June 26, 1945.
Harry Truman Presidential Documents
Look for those from his oath of office (April 12, 1945) through the end of the war in August.
Harry Truman on the Atomic Bomb
Diary entry about the plan to use the atomic bomb.
Harry Truman's Statement on the Atomic Bomb
Truman's public statement on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
President Truman's Radio Address upon the Surrender of Germany
Audio file and transcript.
President Truman's Statement on the Atomic Bomb
Truman's public statement on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Surrender of Japan
Formal statement overseen by General MacArthur on September 2, 1945.

Introduction to Databases

Database Basics

Now that you have keywords, it's time to search the databases. Have you used the databases before? If you don't have recent experience with our library's databases, then I suggest watching this introductory video.

Secondary Sources in Databases

How to Find Secondary Sources in the Library Databases

Secondary sources are sources of information written by people who are citing primary (or even other secondary sources) as their sources of information.

That's a complicated definition, so let's simplify it. Historical books and articles written by people who weren't actually there are secondary sources.

Here are some good databases for finding secondary sources about historical topics.

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Complete historical full text of all issues of peer-reviewed journals in a wide range of humanities and social science fields. Articles are typically more than 5 years old. Video Tutorial
Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Multi-disciplinary database; full text of articles from over 5,300 journals, magazines and newspapers, plus image collections.
Video Tutorial

eBooks

How to Search eBooks

We have two excellent ebook databases. These let you read full-text books online. The interfaces can be confusing, so I have included a tutorial video for each one.

The video above shows you how to search the ebook database titled EBSCO eBook Collection.

EBSCO eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
Search complete electronic books. Set up a free account and download to your PC, Mac, Nook, Sony, Android, iPhone, or iPad.

The video above shows you how to search the database ProQuest EBook Central.

Ebook Central This link opens in a new window
Over 100,000 ebook titles covering a full range of academic topics. General reference works are also included.
Video Tutorial

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