Clark Family Library: HIS 270-02 and HIS 270-03 (Professor James): Finding Primary Sources

Why Use Primary Sources?

Primary sources:

provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence of a topic
are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events and conditions being documented
are often created during the time of the event, but some are created after the fact, such as oral histories or autobiographies

Image from of page six and seven of Diary of Joseph Cecil Thompson in April 1915, taken by Ellen Thompson.

Find Primary Sources in Magazine and Newspaper Archive Databases

Atlantic Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
The Atlantic Magazine Archive, 1857-2014, covers events and political issues through literary and cultural commentary.
Chicago Defender This link opens in a new window
Searchable full-text archive covering 1910-1975.
Ebony Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Full text of more than 800 issues providing a broad view of African-American culture from its first issue in 1945 through 2014
Economist Historical Archive: 1843-2020 This link opens in a new window In more than 8,000 issues since its first publication in 1843, The Economist has presented timely reporting, concise commentary and comprehensive analysis of global news every week. With objective authority, clarity and wit, The Economist presents the worlds political, business, scientific, technological and cultural developments and the connections between them. Because of its global editorial perspective, it is read by more of the worlds political and business leaders than any other magazine. The Economist Historical Archive delivers a complete searchable copy of every issue of The Economist from 1843 to 2020. Full-color images, multiple search indexes, and the facility to browse each and every issue - all combine to offer a unique primary source covering the 19th and 20th centuries.
Esquire Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window Esquire Magazine Archive, 1933-2014, delivers coverage of the award-winning American men’s magazine in the areas of politics, men’s fashion, entertainment, fiction and pop culture. It includes more than 900 issues providing a broad view of 20th-Century American thought through cultural and current events. Esquire Magazine Archive is valuable to researchers of 20th-Century current events, gender issues, politics and culture, the history of business, advertising, and more.
Forbes Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window Forbes Magazine Archive, covering 1917-2000 Forbes Magazine Archive is the world’s only complete digital version of the Forbes backfile. With coverage starting at the magazine’s first issue in 1917, the archive offers 70 years’ worth of content not available on any other EBSCO full-text product. Forbes has delivered key insight on the business and financial world for nearly a century. With EBSCO’s Forbes Magazine Archive, researchers have unrivaled electronic access to the world’s best business news. This fully searchable full-text archive provides analysis on business leaders, politics, entertainment, technology, communication, culture, and style.
Fortune Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window Fortune Magazine Archive, covering 1930-2000 Fortune Magazine Archive presents an extensive collection of the long-running business magazine dating from its very first issue in February, 1930 through December, 2000 in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format. Published monthly by Time Inc., the magazine sought to provide news and analysis of both American and, later, international business, economics, technology, and industry. Each issue featured vivid color illustrations and photographs, as well as high-quality feature articles, published at a time when most business magazines were merely black and white compendiums of statistics and figures. Articles and cover pages are fully indexed and advertisements are individually identified, ensuring researchers and readers can quickly and accurately locate the information they seek. Fortune Magazine Archive is valuable to researchers of 20th-Century current events, politics and culture, as well as those interested in the history of business, advertising, and popular culture.
Freedom Riders in the South This link opens in a new window
Database documents the civil rights group's mission with over 4,000 digitized images of surveillance reports, chronologies, from the FBI Investigation Library. Offers a great collection of primary source documents on civil rights, desegregation, and African American studies. Gale.
Global Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Searchable full-text of more than 2800 global news sources including newspapers, newswires, news journals, and transcripts. Find full text (no images) of the New Pittsburgh Courier, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post here. Coverage dates vary.
Life Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Life Magazine Archive, covering 1936-2000

Life Magazine Archive presents an extensive collection of the famed photojournalism magazine, spanning its very first issue in November, 1936 through December, 2000 in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format.
New York Times (Website Subscription) This link opens in a new window
Contains full-text articles and images in the New York Times from 1851 to the present on the nytimes.com website.

Access to articles from 1923 to 1980 is limited to five per day, any other time frame provides unlimited article access.

The New York Times is a great resource for current events as well finding out how historical events were covered or received at the time they happened.

In order to access this resource you must create an account for the site, directions for doing so can be found on our FAQ page.
Access to the NY Times through the website is different from access through the Proquest database. It will not have the indexing and filters that you find in the database but it covers a larger period of time and gives you access to images.
Pittsburgh Courier This link opens in a new window
Searchable full-text archive covering 1911-2002.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette This link opens in a new window
Searchable full-text archive covering Aug 2, 1927 - Dec 31, 2003 (Vol. 77, no. 153), with the following exceptions: Jan 1, 1961 - Dec 31, 1964; Jan 1, 1966 - Dec 31, 1976
Time Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Time Magazine Archive, covering 1923-2000
Washington Post This link opens in a new window
Searchable full-text archive covering 1877-2003.