Library Research Guides: EDUC 212: History of American Education: Primary Sources

Primary Sources, by Historical Era

Early America

American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series I, 1760-1900 This link opens in a new window
Start here for a great selection of short pieces -- advertisements, speeches, satiric poems and much more

Education in the United States: A Documentary History by Sol Cohen
5 volumes of short primary sources on a huge range of topics. Use the index in volume 5 to find topics.
On Reserve in Clapp Library: LA205 .C53

America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Newspaper articles from over 1000 historical newspapers, including ads, editorials, news stories, etc.
America's Historical Imprints This link opens in a new window
all the books published in the early years of America, including pamphlets and other short pieces of writing, on every possible topic

19th Century U.S.

Making of America
A digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction, covering education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology.
19th Century Schoolbooks
Over 30 19th-century schoolbooks digitized by the U. of Pittsburgh libraries, including McGuffey Readers.
Nineteenth Century American Children & What They Read
Material written for (and in some cases, by) American children in the 19th century.
Education - Disability History Museum
Primary sources on the education and inclusion of people with disabilities in primary, secondary, and higher education. Includes resources related to Gallaudet and Perkins.

20th Century U.S.

Twentieth Century Advice Literature This link opens in a new window
A full-text collection of advice manuals covering all aspects of social, political, cultural and professional life in the US during the 20th century.

Key Sources - All Eras

American Memory
Written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.
Primary Sources - Research Guide
Find additional research resources here, organized by place & time period.

HathiTrust Digital Library

HathiTrust contains millions of digital books, journals, government documents, and other volumes, all digitized from research libraries. The collection includes both public domain and in-copyright works across a full range of subjects.

WOMEN'S EDUCATION

Wellesley College Course Catalogs
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Digitized versions of the Wellesley College course catalogue, 1903 - present.
Five College Archives Digital Access Project
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This Web site provides access to digitized versions of archival records and manuscript collections relating primarily to women's history -- particularly women's education at the Five Colleges. Included among the collections are official college publications, letters, photographs, articles, oral histories, diaries, and more.
The Albert M. Greenfield Digital Center for the History of Women's Education
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Browse through primary sources and view digital exhibits from the Bryn Mawr Special Collections.
Radcliffe College Archives
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Documents the history of Radcliffe College (1879–1999), its students, alumnae, and the women of Harvard University. The Library welcomes all researchers whose work requires use of its collections.
Women's Education Evolves,1790-1890
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This exhibit presents digitized selections of key primary source materials, such as letters from students and women teachers, diaries of missionary teachers, various schoolbooks, sermons, and catalogs. Manuscript materials have been transcribed.

Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 This link opens in a new window
Books, images, documents, scholarly essays, commentaries, and bibliographies, documenting the multiplicity of women's reform activities.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new window
Searchable database of 150,000 pages of letters and diaries, drawn from journal articles, pamphlets, newsletters, monographs, and conference proceedings.

Discovering American Women's History Online
Women Working,1800-1930
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Part of the Open Collections Program at Harvard University Library, this is a great place to look for primary sources of women working in the late eighteenth, early nineteenth century. The digitized collection includes: books, pamphlets, images and some manuscripts. It is easy to browse or search the collection.

Gerritsen Collection This link opens in a new window
Premier international collection of digitized material (1543-1988) on the evolution of a feminist consciousness and the movement for women's rights.

A few tips...

Find a good secondary source, and work backwards. See what primary sources the author consulted, and search for them (you will probably find other relevant sources this way).

Think like an archivist. In archives, sources aren't organized by subject as they are in the library, but by the person, organization or group that created them. Start from what you know -- names of people, organizations, schools, or programs -- and do an internet search using that name plus a word like "papers" or "collection." Example: the Mary Lyon Collection

Tips for finding primary sources from the Library at UC-Berkeley - Includes information about finding particular types of sources and searching with information you already have.

EDUC 212: History of American Education

Your Librarian

SPOTLIGHT ON ...

Primary Sources, by Historical Era

HathiTrust Digital Library

WOMEN'S EDUCATION

A few tips...