Library Research Guides: EDUCATION: Primary Sources

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."

Primary Sources Guide
Find additional research resources here, organized by place & time period.

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.
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.
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.
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.

PRIMARY SOURCES BY ERA

Primary sources are original, uninterpreted information, such as firsthand accounts of events in letters, diaries, interviews, or historical news reportage.

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.
Hathi Trust
HathiTrust contains millions of digital books, journals, government documents, and other volumes, all digitized from research libraries.

Directory of Historical Textbook and Curriculum Collections
Call Number: q LB3047 .D57 2005, Clapp Library

Early America

American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series I, 1760-1900 This link opens in a new window
Broadsides are brief writings meant to respond to events of the moment. Ephemera are printed items not intended to last, like movie tickets or playbills.
America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Full text of more than 1,000 historical U.S. newspapers. Contains Early American Newspapers, 1690-1922, and African American Newspapers, 1827-1998.
Dates: 1690-1998 CE
America's Historical Imprints This link opens in a new window
Every type of printed material published in America up to 1819! For Education, select the Subject tab > Society Manners & Customs. Browse for interesting items under Education or Schools or just use the search boxes.

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.

Everyday Life & Women in America c.1800-1920 This link opens in a new window
Text-based primary sources covering 19th and early 20th Century political, social and gender issues, religion, race, education, employment, marriage, sexuality, home and family life, and health.
Dates: 1800-1940 CE

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.
Educational Games of the 18th and 19th Centuries
"All 18th and 19th century board games in the John Johnson Collection (mostly single sheets) and all Educational writing blanks (also known as school pieces) from the Johnson, Opie and Harding Collections were digitised, together with other games of the same period, selected for their educational content, from both the John Johnson and Opie Collections."

20th Century U.S.

Twentieth Century Advice Literature This link opens in a new window
A fulltext collection of advice manuals covering all aspects of social, political, cultural and professional life in the United States.

Library of Congress Children's Books
A collection of 24 classic children's books free to use and reuse.
Vintage Children's Books
A curated list of digitized 20th century children's books on the Internet Archive.
Beyond Busing: Boston School Desegregation Archival Resources
Over 3000 primary sources from Boston school busing and desegregation from a variety of perspectives.
Education Reporting on Public Television
"From black-and-white footage of protests against segregated schools in New York City, to full-color newscasts about the rollout of No Child Left Behind in Guam, public television has had a long history of covering education stories. This online exhibit highlights documentaries, news magazines, talk shows, and special reports in the AAPB collection dedicated to learning in America."

YOUR LIBRARIAN

Sarah Moazeni

she, her, hers

Email Me

Contact:

Clapp 218B

781-283-4021

Subjects: Education, History, Jewish Studies, Medieval/Renaissance Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Peace & Justice Studies, Philosophy, Religion, South Asia Studies, Women's & Gender Studies

SPOTLIGHT ON ...

Children & Youth in History offers sources about young people from around the world & across centuries, with a tremendously helpful guide to understanding & interpreting primary sources on children & youth.

Image: "Schoolchildren, Minidoka incarceration camp, Idaho, 1940s."