The History Context
"Primary sources are historians’ windows on the past, enabling them to discover what people were doing, planning, or discussing at a particular time. By examining such sources in a larger context, such as an historical investigation into a particular event or societal trend, they can provide valuable clues.
Of course, while a private diary might reveal a hidden opinion or unknown event, an autobiography might also attempt to alter the historical record in the author’s interest. The researcher must be careful when approaching sources written by those figures who were close to the events they are describing. Their memories may be fuzzy, and they might even exaggerate or deemphasize particular details....Be aware of an author’s possible interests in discussing or avoiding certain subjects. Sometimes the authors of primary sources were professional historians, but more often they were not" (UBC Department of History. ''Primary Sources.'').
Primary and Secondary Sources
"Primary Sources" are the direct evidence or first hand accounts of events without secondary analysis or interpretation. A primary source is a work that was written or created at a time that is contemporary or nearly contemporary with the period or subject being studied.
The definition of a primary source can change depending upon the academic discipline and the context in which it is used. Click the relevant tab in this guide for tips to finding primary sources for disciplines in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences.
"Secondary Sources" analyze or interpret an historical event or artistic work. Secondary sources often base their theories and arguments on the direct evidence found in primary sources. A secondary work for a subject is one that discusses the subject but is written after the time contemporary with it.
Primary Source Digital Collections
The box below list provides information and links to some of the very best digital collections of primary sources in history, sorted geographically. It is not an exhaustive directory but does provide a wide-ranging selection of materials licensed by UBC Library or authoritative collections in the public domain from external institutions such as the US Library of Congress, Library & Archives Canada, Vancouver Archives, the University of Victoria, and through the The British Columbia Archival Information Network. Additional primary-source collections can be found under the Historical Newspapers, and Books and E-books tabs in this guide.
Research by Geography
- Archival records RG-10 from the Department of Indian Affairs
Historical records relating to Indian Affairs created by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and its predecessors. Includes files, correspondence, letters, and transcripts. Also referred to as the "Red" and the "Black" Series. The index is available online from ArchiviaNet.
- Democracy at War: Canadian Newspapers and the Second World War
From the Canadian War Museum, this online database contains "more than 144,000 newspaper articles, manually clipped, stamped with the date, and arranged by subject, (and) includes news stories and editorials from newspapers, mostly Canadian, documenting every aspect of the war." Content chiefly comes from the ''Hamilton Spectator'' but also includes clips from the ''Globe & Mail'', ''Toronto Daily Star'', ''Toronto Telegram'', and some international papers such as the ''New York Times'' and the ''Times (London)''. Note, the collection is almost exclusively limited to English language content.
- Canadiana Online
This online collection contains the full-text of books and pamphlets published in Canada before 1920, and government publications to 1900. The government content continues ''CIHM'', the 'Early Canadiana research collection' located in microfiche at Koerner Library, floor 2. Other thematic sub-collections cover topics including Women's history, English-Canadian literature, History of French Canada, History of the Hudson's Bay company, and Native studies along with Colonial government journals and the 'Jesuit relations'.
- Early Encounters in North America
Documents the relationships among peoples in North America from 1534 to 1850. The collection focuses on personal accounts from traders, slaves, missionaries, explorers, soldiers, native peoples, and officials, both men and women.
- Globe and Mail: Canada's Heritage from 1844
Electronic, full-page scans of all the editions and versions of The Globe from June 1844 until December 2011. Coverage includes all the stories, plus thousands of images, advertisements, classifieds, political cartoons, births and deaths from more than 1.4 million pages of Canada's national newspaper, dating back to the pre-confederation era.
- Library and Archives Canada
Website for Library and Archives Canada. Contains online exhibits on topics relevant to various aspects of Canadian history, culture and society.
- Official Report of Debates, House of Common
These are the transcripts of debates in the House of Commons in Canada. Older content available in print at UBC Library.
- Sessional Papers of Canada
These are the reports tabled in the House of Commons for each parliamentary session. Includes annual reports of departments and reports of royal commissions. Covers 1868-1925.
- Colonial Despatches
"This digital archive contains the original correspondence between the British Colonial Office and the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. This project aims to digitize and publish online a complete archive of the correspondence covering the period from 1846 leading to the founding of Vancouver Island in 1849, the founding of British Columbia in 1858, the annexation of Vancouver Island by British Columbia in 1866, and up to the incorporation of B.C. into the Canadian Federation in 1871."
- Capilano Timber Company Collection
Digitized photographs depicting "the operations of the Capilano Timber Company, including loggers, logging camps, and views of the Capilano Valley and the Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver."
- Debates of the Legislative Assembly (Hansard, British Columbia)
Transcripts of debates in the legislature of British Columbia from 1972 to present. Also available in print at UBC Library.
- British Columbia Legislative Assembly Sessional Clipping Books, 1891-1972
This is a microform collection comprised of newspaper clippings reporting the debates in the BC Legislative Assembly from 1891-1972. Note, verbatim transcripts of the debates were not recorded and compiled until 1972 so this collection is the only cohesive record of the debates pre-1972.
- Japanese Canadian Photograph Collection
Primarily from BC, this digital collection "documents a wide range of the experiences of Canadians of Japanese descent in British Columbia....(and is) particularly strong in chronicling their treatment during World War II."
- MacMillan Bloedell Collection
Digitized photographs documenting "document the history of MacMillan Bloedel and its predecessor companies (Powell River Company, Bloedel, Stewart & Welch, H.R. MacMillan Export Company, Ltd., MacMillan & Bloedel, and MacMillan, Bloedel and Powell River Company)."
- Major Matthews' Early Vancouver
"Compiled between 1931 and 1956, and totalling seven volumes...''Early Vancouver'' is" a unique information source which chronicles "the very early beginnings of Vancouver and the stories of its residents." The original books were written by the first City Archivist for Vancouver after conducting personal interviews with "everyone he could find who had lived in Vancouver before 1886, the year the City was incorporated and the year it burned in the Great Fire."
- The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection
The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection contains more than 25,000 rare and unique items relating to the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Asian experience in North America, and West Coast history and exploration.
- Digital National Security Archive
Collection of significant primary documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945.
- Early American Imprints 1639-1800
Regarded as the definitive resource for researching every aspect of 17th- and 18th-century America.
- Early American Imprints 1801-1819
Covers every aspect of American life during the early decades of the United States.
- Early Encounters in North America
Documents the relationships among peoples in North America from 1534 to 1850. The collection focuses on personal accounts from traders, slaves, missionaries, explorers, soldiers, native peoples, and officials, both men and women.
- U.S. Library of Congress Digital Collections
Digital record of American history and creativity.
- Oral History Online
Important oral histories available either on the Web or hidden away in archives, in English. Though there is content from around the world, e.g., South Africa, Cuba, the majority of coverage is from the USA. Includes an impressive collection of oral histories from immigrants at Ellis Island, interviews with Pennsylvania miners and Black Panther Party narratives.
- Sabin Americana
Based on Joseph Sabin's landmark bibliography, this collection contains works about the Americas published throughout the world from 1500 to the early 1900's. Included are books, pamphlets, serials and other documents that provide original accounts of exploration, trade, colonialism, slavery and abolition, the western movement, First Nations, military actions and much more.
- The Sixties
A collection of diaries, letters, autobiographies and other memoirs, written and oral histories, manifestos, government documents covering the history, culture and politics of the decade.
- Twentieth-century Latin American Pamphlets
Pamphlets, grey literature and ephemera related to political, economic, and social conditions in Latin America during the 20th century. Part I has an online index and covers the Southern Cone countries, and Part 2 covers Central America and the Caribbean.
- U.S. Serial Set
A collection of U.S. government publications compiled under the direction of Congress, capturing every aspect of American life from the early 19th century onward.
- European Views of the Americas
This is a bibliography which lists printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750. A wide range of subject areas are covered; from natural disasters to disease outbreaks and slavery.
- Early English Books Online (EEBO) This link opens in a new windowEarly English Books Online (EEBO) contains digital facsimile page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales & British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700.
- Eighteenth Century Collections Online This link opens in a new windowEighteenth Century Collections Online delivers every significant English-language and foreign-language title printed in Great Britain during the 18th century, along with thousands of important works from the Americas.
- Eighteenth Century Journals: Portal to Newspapers and Periodicals c1685-1815 This link opens in a new windowBritish periodicals of the eighteenth century.
- House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (U.K.) This link opens in a new windowThe House of Commons Parliamentary Papers are working documents of government. The collection has over 200,000 papers plus Hansard, both starting in 1801. For more information, consult the HCCP Guide.
- Medieval Travel Writing This link opens in a new windowAn extensive collection of manuscript materials for the study of medieval travel writing in fact and in fantasy. The main focus is on accounts of journeys to the Holy Land, India and China.
- Nineteenth Century Index [C19] This link opens in a new windowThis database provides integrated access to the twelve most important finding aids for books, periodicals, official publications, newspapers and archives for 19th century studies.
- China: Trade, Politics and Culture 1793-1980 This link opens in a new windowIncludes a wide variety of original source material detailing China's interaction with the West from Macartney's first Embassy to China in 1793, through to the Nixon/Heath visits to China in 1972-74.
- India, Raj and Empire This link opens in a new windowDrawing upon the wonderfully rich and diverse manuscript collections of the National Library of Scotland, this collection looks at History of South Asia.
- Times of India (1838 - 2008) This link opens in a new windowFull text access to the English language daily newspaper founded in 1838 to serve British residents of West India. Today this historical newspaper serves researchers interested in studying colonialism and post-colonialism, British and world history, class and gender issues, international relations, comparative religion, international economics, terrorism, and more.
Coming soon!
Research by Theme
- Archives Unbound This link opens in a new windowTopically-focused digital collections of historical documents which cover subjects ranging from the Spanish civil war to the American Indian Movement and the protestant missionary community in China to the Persian gulf war.
- Black Freedom Struggle in the United States This link opens in a new window1600 primary-source documents representing a selection of sources available in other ProQuest databases.
- Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new windowContains 1,297 sources with 1,098 authors, covering the non-fiction published works of leading African Americans.Includes interviews, journal articles, speeches, essays, pamplets, letters & other fugitive material.
- British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new windowIincludes approximately 100,000 pages of material assembled from numerous bibliographies and from newly conducted research. Alongside the published material are 4,000 facsimile pages of previously unpublished manuscripts
- Empire Online This link opens in a new windowPrimary documents, supported by interpretive essays and other secondary materials, for the study of 'Empire'.
- Everyday Life & Women in America, c.1800-1920 This link opens in a new windowPrimary source material from the nineteenth and early twentieth-centuries.
- North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories This link opens in a new windowA unique and personal view of what it meant to immigrate to America and Canada concentrating on the period from 1890 to 1920.
- North American Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new windowNorth American Women's Letters and Diaries, colonial to 1950.
- Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice, 1490-2007 This link opens in a new windowAn important portal for slavery and abolition studies. Topics covered include the varieties of slavery, the legacy of slavery, social justice issues and the continued existence of slavery today.
- Women and Social Movements in the United States: 1600 to 2000 This link opens in a new windowThe resource, which examines perspectives on women's social movements from colonial times to the present, was developed by Thomas Dublin and Kathryn Kish Sklar of SUNY at Binghamton.
