This guide is designed for researchers to find articles, sources and get started with research in topics related to American Studies and the study of U.S. culture.
What are primary sources?
Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They present original thinking, report a discovery, or share new information. Primary sources are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. They are from the time period involved and have not been filtered through subsequent interpretation or evaluation.
Examples of primary sources include: autobiographies, letters, diaries, musical scores, works of art, speeches, recordings, photographs, articles in newspapers that describe events.
Select digital primary source collections
The Primary source online A-Z guide contains a full list of digital primary source collections available through the UMN Libraries. Find a lists of databases covering current and historical U.S. executive, legislative, and judicial information United States Government Information Guide.
-
Archives of Sexuality and GenderCollections of primary sources for the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender. With material dating back to the sixteenth century, researchers and scholars can examine how sexual norms have changed 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 topical areas.
-
Broadcasting America: The Rise of Mass Media and CommunicationsDavid Sarnoff, President of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), and other industry papers detailing the expansion of radio and television technology, and the rise of mass media empires, accelerated America's transformation into a consumer-based society.
-
Defining GenderProvides access to a vast body of original British source material that will enrich the teaching and research experience of those studying history, literature, sociology and education from a gendered perspective.
-
History MakersHistory Makers is the largest African American oral video history archive in the world.
-
History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth CenturyCollections of books, manuscripts, and ephemera providing a historical view of disabilities from the seventeenth to twentieth century. Materials include personal memoirs, reports and proceedings of organizations and institutions, policies and programs concerning persons with disabilities. Rehabilitation, treatments, methods of education, and other forms of remediation are documented.
-
Immigrations, Migrations and Refugees: Global Perspectives, 1941-1996 (FBIS)Translated and English-language radio and television broadcasts, newspapers, periodicals, government documents and books providing global insight on immigration in the mid-to-late 20th century.
-
Indigenous Peoples Social Justice and CultureIncludes global coverage of recent and current digital-first primary sources such as blogs, magazines, videos, podcasts, tweets, newspapers, and other content created by and for Indigenous Peoples.
-
ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new windowThe ProQuest Congressional Research Digital Collection (CRDC) provides full-text access to more than 5,000 Congressional committee prints published from 2004 to present and more than 23,000 Congressional Research Service reports published from 2004-present. Includes citations for bills, public laws, and Statutes at Large, and analytical abstracts of the documents. Also includes links to political parties and organizations and news sources. Coverage 1789-present.
-
Race Relations in AmericaBased at Fisk University from 1943-1970, the Race Relations Department and its annual Institute were set up by the American Missionary Association to investigate problem areas in race relations and develop methods for educating communities and preventing conflict. Documenting three pivotal decades in the fight for civil rights, this resource showcases the speeches, reports, surveys and analyses produced by the Department’s staff and Institute participants, including Charles S. Johnson, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., and Thurgood Marshall.
-
Refugees, Migration, and Borders Social Justice and CultureIncludes global coverage from 1980-present day of authentic stories as they were originally told, drawing on podcasts, blogs, digital magazines, and interviews gathered from NGOs, non-profits, religious support groups, and government refugee boards, border service, and immigration offices.
UMN Archives and Special Collections
The University of Minnesota houses several distinct and unique archives and special collections. To find out more information about a unit and what materials might reside in their collections, click through to their web pages.
-
Andersen Horticultural Library (AHL)Located at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen, the AHL is the largest horticultural library in the Upper Midwest, focusing on plants, gardening, botanical art, landscape and floral design, garden history, and the natural history of Minnesota.
-
Charles Babbage InstituteAs both archives and research center, CBI promotes the study and understanding of the history of information technology and its impact on society.
-
Children's Literature Research CollectionsThe Children's Literature Research Collections holds books, comics, story papers, dime novels, and other materials related to the creation of children’s literature, including original manuscripts and artwork.
-
Givens Collection of African American LiteratureThe Givens Collection facilitates access to African American history and culture through its rare book and archival collections, and through Umbra Search.
-
Immigration History Research Center ArchivesThe Immigration History Research Center Archives documents immigration to the United States from 1850 to the present, with materials created largely by immigrants and social service providers.
-
James Ford Bell LibraryThe Bell Library documents the history and impact of trade and cross-cultural contact around the globe prior to 1825 C.E. More than 15 languages are represented in rare books, manuscripts/archival collections, and maps.
-
Kautz Family YMCA ArchivesThe YMCA Archives documents one of the nation’s largest and oldest nonprofits and its programs to support social welfare, spiritual and mental development, and physical education.
-
Northwest Architectural ArchivesThe Northwest Architectural Archives is the repository for the records of architects, engineers, contractors, landscape architects, interior designers, and local professional societies from the Midwest region.
-
Performing Arts ArchivesPreserving Minnesota’s cultural legacy in music, theater, and dance, the Archives holds scripts, prompt books, costume and set designs, photos, and AV recordings from organizations, actors, designers, and directors.
-
Sherlock Holmes CollectionsThe Sherlock Holmes Collections constitute the largest gathering of material documenting the transformation of Holmes from a Victorian literary creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to a 21st century pop culture icon.
-
Social Welfare History ArchivesThe Archives documents the history of social service programs, policies, and organizations; the evolution of the social work profession; and social reform movements.
-
Tretter Collection in GLBT StudiesThe Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies includes published materials, organizational records, and personal papers providing insights into the GLBT experience, and is the home of the Tretter Transgender Oral History Project.
-
UMediaUMedia includes digitized collections from the University of Minnesota Libraries, Archives and Special Collections.
-
University ArchivesUniversity Archives is the institutional home for historical documents, departmental collections, data, photographs, publications, and websites of the University, including faculty papers and research and administrative records.
-
Upper Midwest Jewish ArchivesUMJA has materials illustrating the American Jewish experience from a Midwestern perspective, chronicling the activities of supporting ethnic/religious communities and advocacy organizations.
-
Upper Midwest Literary ArchivesThe resources in the Upper Midwest Literary Archives are integral to the study of literary history, independent publishing, and writers of the Upper Midwest.
-
Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and MedicineLocated in the Phillips-Wangensteen Building on the East Bank campus, the Wangensteen Library for historical medical research houses 80,000 rare books, journals, and manuscripts in diverse medical and biological subjects spanning from approximately 1430 to 1930.
Last Updated: Aug 13, 2025 9:10 AM
URL: https://libguides.umn.edu/AmericanStudies