HIS 100: Skills and Methods

Primary sources

Library Pre-Work (focused on Primary Sources) Homework

OVERVIEW

Databases for primary sources can be arranged by subject, by format or by time period. They provide convenient access to digitized materials. They can be used to add additional perspectives to the subject matter, events, or people you are studying.

RESOURCES TO TRY:

UCSC Digital Collections
Digitized photographs, maps, artwork, sound recordings, with an emphasis on rare and unique items in the UCSC collections.
UCSC Oral Histories in Audio
Some of the Regional Oral Histories are available to stream. To see an example go here and on the bottom left corner click on "Supporting Material." Information to stream or download will appear above.

Calisphere This link opens in a new window
Primary source images and documents from California libraries and archives.
California Digital Newspaper Collection This link opens in a new window
California Newspapers from 1846 onward. Dates of coverage vary by newspaper.
News & Newspapers from ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Newspapers, historic to current years of coverage. Use filters to refine your search. Requires login.
Overland journeys : travels in the West, 1800-1880 This link opens in a new window
This collection provides a unique window on American western history. Covers 1800-1880.
Popular culture in Britain and America, 1950-1975 This link opens in a new window Music, Politics, Fashion, Youth Culture – the period from 1950 to 1975 witnessed dramatic changes in society. There was the onset of Rock & Roll; the introduction of computers and credit cards; the boom of radio and television; and campaigns for black power, civil rights and women’s liberation. All around the world there were challenges to authority.
Early Encounters in North America, 1534-1850 This link opens in a new window
Primary documents from early recorded history of North America. Includes transcriptions of letters, diaries, memoirs, and accounts of early encounters between Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans.
U.S. Declassified Documents Online This link opens in a new window
Declassified documents from all the presidential libraries and numerous executive agencies, which span the 20th and 21st centuries.
Empire Online This link opens in a new window
An interactive collection of primary source documents, sourced from leading archives around the world. Cover all continents and includes primary documents and secondary resources from the period which relate the story of the Empire from the French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German points of view, as well as that of indigenous peoples from Africa, India and North America.
Archives of Sexuality & Gender This link opens in a new window Includes parts 1-3. Collection of primary sources for the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender. Material date back to the sixteenth century and include sexual norms over time, health and hygiene, the development of sex education, the rise of sexology, changing gender roles, social movements and activism, erotica, and many other interesting topical areas.

To explore more databases for U.S. Primary Sources go here:

UC Library Search This link opens in a new window This searches across all 10 UC Library collections and beyond. Sign in using your CruzID Gold in order to find: books, e-books, articles, journals, films, maps, and more.
HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
eBooks from University Collections that are in the public domain.

U.S. primary sources (A-Z databases)

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Land Acknowledgement

The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.

The land acknowledgement used at UC Santa Cruz was developed in partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman and the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UCSC Arboretum.

University Library

HIS 100: Skills and Methods

Primary sources

Land Acknowledgement