[Publib] Primary Source Documents

[smithaa at oplin.org]

Maureen -

Have you access to the Annals of American History database (a service of
Encyclopedia Britannica)? It's been a remarkably helpful resource for
questions like these.

Good luck,
Aaron
Cataloging/Reference Services
Clermont County Public Library, Ohio
smithaa at oplin.org
513.735.7147


> A local middle school has assigned their eighth grade history classes to
> do
> a project with primary source documents from the 19th century. (One of the
> teachers, bless him, has come to talk to us about this assignment since we
> are where he is sending all his students.) They have to find one primary
> source document (around one page of a 19th century origin letter,
> newspaper
> article, speech, etc) in their area of interest, then find related
> secondary
> sources.
>
> The secondary sources aren't so much of a problem, but we're having the
> very
> devil of a time finding the primary source documents for these kids. Ours
> is
> a pretty small library and it's not easy to find these in our books. We
> can
> (and have) sent them to our big sister library about 20 minutes away, but
> of
> course there will always be those who come in the night before it's due
> and/or can't get up there. Some of the subjects we've had so far: slavery
> (on the pro side), the Emancipation Proclamation, Alexander Graham Bell,
> forensic pathology, the Women's Declaration of Independence, and the
> Louisiana Purchase. As you can see, they have all sorts of different
> interests!
>
> Any great internet archives out there for the period between 1800-1899? I
> have used American Memory from the Library of Congress, with spotty
> success,
> and I also hear that the Navy website has a pretty good archive but I have
> not explored it yet.
>
> This project looks to extend through January. Any and all suggestions
> heartily welcome.