Primary sources are the evidence of history. They are first-hand accounts created by participants or observers of an event or period of time. There are many kinds of primary sources, including:
Many primary sources you will encounter have been reproduced in print publications or transferred into a digital format, but you may encounter some in their original forms if you work with Special Collections.
Special Collections has four main collecting areas. To read about them in more detail, please click on the links below.
An integrated platform that combines Gales digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface to enhance the ability to discover primary source documents from multiple collections. Over 50 collections are available to University of Delaware users on this platform. (Coverage: 1500 -)
Full-text access to select major U.S. newspapers, regional U.S. newspapers, international newspaper and Black newspapers from the U.S. (Coverage: 19th and 20th centuries)
Every issue of each title includes the complete paper with full-page and article images in downloadable PDF format. Researchers can study the progression of issues over time through these historical newspaper pages, including articles, photos, advertisements, classified ads, obituaries, editorial cartoons, and more.
Titles Included: