Primary Sources

Get your hands dirty — figuratively speaking — with the original letters, diaries, documents, images, and sounds of U.S. history.

American Treasures of the Library of Congress

Exhibits highlighting important holdings including the Declaration of Independence, Mason's Declaration of Rights, George Washington's Commission, Emancipation Proclamation, The Gettysburg Address, Columbus' Book of Privileges, Lincoln's First Inaugural Address and Huexotzinco Codex

American Originals: Treasures from the National Archives

Selected milestone documents from the exhibits at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

America's Historical Documents

Images of important documents from the National Archives and Records Administration with related resources to explain the historical context and emphasize the significance of each document.

Words and Deeds in American History

Use the chronological list to find documents selected from the vast collection for this special exhibit, or go directly to the Military Affairs, the Presidency, Congress, Law and Politics, African-American History or one of the other subject gateways.

Digital Durham: Life and Labor in the New South

Find a range of primary sources which can be used to investigate the economic, social, cultural and political history of a post-bellum southern community from the 1870s to the 1920s.