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HIST 376 North American West -- A Brief Guide to Primary and Secondary Sources

You may want to look at the Primary Sources: Definition and Resources page in the History subject guide as well.

If you need help, please contact Rebecca Dowson, Liaison Librarian: English Literature and History at 778.782.4304 or rda26@sfu.ca or Ask a librarian.

On this page:

Primary Sources

There are two principal media you will find primary sources in:

  • published in books which the SFU Library has on its shelves, or
  • scanned and digitized in an online collection.

But there are a few other options. If your source has been published but the SFU Library does not own the book, we could borrow it for you from another library. Also, there's a chance that you could visit a local museum or archive to use an original primary source.

 

Published Sources in the Library (newspapers, government documents and legislation, speeches, memoirs, ... or else collected and published in book form)

Many primary sources have been published and are held in the SFU collection, but searching for them is tricky. The keyword "primary source" usually doesn't work because those words rarely occur in the title of the item. The best approach is to an Advanced Keyword search in the Catalogue. In the first search box put in a topic keyword and in the second box put this:

sources OR letter* OR speech* OR correspondence OR diar* OR manuscript*

Then browse through and see if there's anything appropriate in your results. Not every hit will be a primary source.

When you find books which look suitable, remember to look at their Subject Headings and see if they lead you to other books. Listed below are just a few SH we noticed while doing some sample searches, but remember to look for Subject Headings with specific Subheadings that identify materials as primary sources, e.g. 'sources', 'personal narratives', 'autobiographies', 'correspondence', etc.

 

 

Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproduction (CIHM)

The CIHM is an organization which for more than 30 years has been microfilming early Canadian publications (books and magazines) and making them available to libraries. The goal is to include every item published in Canada from 1558 to 1920. The SFU Library now has more than ~100,000 CIHM items, and this is an excellent place to find a primary source suitable for your assignment if you'd like to do a Canadian topic. To search for items in this collection, do a Keyword search in the Catalogue for:      cihm AND <topic word>

E.g. cihm AND red river      = 227 hits, dating from 1807-1920

When you find what you want, copy down the CIHM number. Then go to the 6th floor of the Library. The CIHM microfilm are kept in a cabinet at the east end of the floor, and there are microfilm readers and printers ($0.11/page) nearby. Ask the staff at the Help desk there for assistance.

 

Other tools:

  • SFU Library has local newspapers (e.g. Vancouver Sun) available in microfilm back to the first issue. Other Canadian magazines and newspapers are probably available on microfilm, or we can order copies of articles from other libraries.
  • The Canadian Periodical Index is a print index which enables you to search for articles from major Canadian magazines. Its coverage starts in 1920. Find it in the Reference Indexes section (second floor) at FC 1 C3584
  • Government legislation will be readily available, either in print in the library or sometimes online. See a librarian for assistance once you know what you're looking for.

Suggested Books

  • Autobiographical writings on Mexico: an annotated bibliography of primary sources / Richard D. Woods. Bennett Reference, CT 553 W56 2005

Online Primary Sources -- Canada

SFU Library has licensed access to a number of databases of primary sources. There are also many websites at museums and archives across Canada where you can view digitized primary sources. This page lists only a few of those databases and sites, but you can use Google to identify many more.

SFU Licensed Databases

Free Websites

Online Primary Sources -- United States

SFU Licensed Databases

  • American West -  Original manuscripts, maps, ephemeral material and rare printed sources on the American and Canadian West.  Check out the Links section under Further Resources for links to many other free online primary source websites about the American West.
  • Early American Imprints: A collection of sources covering all aspects of life in 17th- and 18th-century America, from agriculture and auctions through foreign affairs, diplomacy, literature, music, religion, the Revolutionary War, slavery, temperance, witchcraft and many other topics.
  • Historical New York Times: This famous US newspaper, online back to 1851.
  • American Periodical Series: The more than 1,000 periodicals in these three former microfilm collections provide the materials necessary to study trends in the United States from 1741 to 1900.
  • Historical Newspapers: Includes the Washington Post (1877 - 1990); Wall Street Journal (1889 - 1989); New York Times (1851 - 36 month embargo)

Free Websites

Online Primary Sources -- Mexico

Online Primary Sources -- Multi-Nation

  • Early Encounters in North America: "Prints, drawings, paintings, maps, bibliographies, letters, and photographs documenting the relationships among peoples in North America from 1534-1850. The collection presents the perspectives of traders, slaves, missionaries, explorers, soldiers, officials, and others. It includes works by American Indians, Canadian First Peoples, and many European groups, capturing first impressions, hundreds of years of observations of flora and fauna, descriptions of encounters with indigenous peoples, and new language elements as they evolved."
  • Empire Online: "A collection of over 70,000 images of original manuscripts and printed material, 1492-1969, taken from libraries and archives around the world, including the Americas.
  • North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories: "More than 100,000 pages of personal narratives, including letters, diaries, pamphlets, autobiographies, and oral histories, providing a unique and personal view of what it meant to immigrate to North America. The materials begin around 1840 and extend to the present, focusing heavily on the period from 1890 to 1920."
  • North American Indian Biographical Database: "More than 100,000 pages of personal stories, dating from 17th century to present day, and including all regions of North America, with nearly 500 nations represented in all. Includes biographies of significant leaders, depictions of historically important events, and biographies of 'Indians pursuing their everyday lives and reflecting on what was happening to them'. Also includes speeches by chiefs, accounts of religious and spiritual life, and biographies from contemporary Indian newspapers, among other sources."
  • North American Women's Letters and Diaries: "150,000 pages of letters and diaries written by North American women from Colonial times to 1950, including 7,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts. Drawn from more than 1,000 sources, including journal articles, pamphlets, newsletters, monographs, and conference proceedings. Represents all age groups and life stages, a wide range of ethnicities, many geographical regions."

Secondary Sources: Books & Articles

There are a number of techniques students commonly use to find secondary sources:

  • browsing the shelves
  • searching the Catalogue and other search engines
  • using the list of sources at the back of a source you've already got in hand

This section will focus on the second technique: search engines. I assume you're familiar with searching the SFU Library Catalogue to find books on your topic. Ask a librarian for assistance if you feel your search techniques are not efficient.

The best search engine to use for journal articles is America: History and Life. Here are a few tips on how to use it effectively:

  • the best search engine for academic journal articles from History journals
  • it also includes history books and PhD theses/dissertations
  • start with a keyword search for your topic
  • click the "Expand Record" button to see a short summary of the article, Subject Headings, etc.
  • click the "Where Can I Get This?" button to find out how you can get the article: (a) online, (b) in print on the 6th floor, or (c) order it from another library
  • to narrow a search to a specific decade, go to the Advanced search tab; in the Time Period field enter 1920d for the 1920's; for two decades do this: 1920d or 1930d

 

If you're having trouble, ask for help! SFU librarians help hundreds of students every day with questions about library research. See the Ask Us page for information on how to contact us (in person, email, phone, chat).

 

 

Owned by: Rebecca Dowson
Revised by: Site Administrator
Last Modified: 2011-12-12