Primary sources are the fruit in the fruitcake of history. They bring breath and voice to those long gone, and remind us that all this stuff actually happened to real people at some point.
You’ll hear that primary sources bring history to life, and while that’s true, it’s deceptively incomplete. It’s perhaps more accurate to say that letters, diaries, ledgers, sketches, speeches, reports – even newspaper articles – bring life to history, and life is typically messy. Sometimes maddeningly so.
Some voices contradict others, or even themselves. Language evolves over time, or means different things to people in different circumstances. We rarely have all of the information we’d like, unless we have so much we can’t possible synthesize all of it coherently. Documents are discovered which challenge our understanding of people or events, which is both exciting and inconvenient.
And honestly, sometimes we’re not sure what they’re even saying. Or we do understand, but we wish they hadn’t said it, or said it that way. Sometimes they’re biased, sometimes they lie, and sometimes they’re just wrong about important things.
Because… people.
The documents included here are reproduced as faithfully as possible from the originals or whatever form of the originals I was able to use. Not everything included is automatically true or fair. Sometimes I’ve modernized spelling or made notes about definitions, other times I’ve tried to maintain the original grammar, comfortable to the modern reader or not. I’ve not been particularly consistent on this point, but these documents have been added over a long period of time, and were sometimes created for different reasons.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive or even a well-organized list; it’s just some of my favorites from over the years. You’ll no doubt find far more complete lists of primary sources any number of other places. That said, I hope you stumble across something interesting or useful while you’re here.
Letter from Kublai Khan to Japan (1266) – I actually blogged about my love of this short missive, if you’re interested
Coronado to the King of Spain (1541) – “what I am sure of is that there is not any gold nor any other metal in all that country, and… they do not plant anything and do not have any houses except of skins and sticks, and they wander around with the cows.”
Ben Franklin Advises His Nephew on Relationships (1745) – This one is a bit tawdry, for what it’s worth.
Federalist #10 and #51 (w/ Questions) – Madison explains why some of the stuff in the new Constitution which might look like “bugs” are actually exciting new “features”
Federalist #10 & #51 (shorter) – Madison explains why some of the stuff in the new Constitution which might look like “bugs” are actually exciting new “features” (in slightly fewer words)
Andrew Jackson Promotes Indian Removal (1830) – President Jackson speaking to Congress about what a great deal “removal” would be for both the U.S. and the Five Civilized Tribes
Workingmen for Education and Horace Mann for Libraries (shorter) – Two short excerpts from the Age of Reform which do a wonderful job explaining why education and books (ALL books) matter
Two Cherokee Cases (w Background) – Excerpts from the Supreme Court’s opinions in Cherokee v. Georgia (1831) and Worcester v. Georgia (1832) and brief intro to the cases
Primary Source – King Andrew Cartoon (1832) (w/ Questions) – PDF
Primary Sources – Workingman’s Committee & Horace Mann (1830s) – PDF
Primary Source: Alexis de Tocqueville on Democracy and Wealth (1835) – PDF
Chief John Ross to Congress (1836) – Ross protests the Treaty of New Echota which provided a gilding of legitimacy for “Indian Removal” and what would become remembered as the “Trail of Tears”
Primary Source – Chattel Slavery vs Wage Slavery (1840) – PDF
Primary Source – Declaration of Sentiments (1848) (APARTY) – PDF
Primary Sources – “Ain’t I A Woman” Speech (1851) (Two Versions w Qs) – PDF
Primary Source – What, to the Slave, is the 4th of July (1852) (APARTY) – PDF
Mary Chesnut Civil War Diary – 1861 (Excerpt) – An insightful southern woman’s thoughts as the war actually begins
Mary Chesnut Civil War Diary – 1861 (2 excerpts) – twice the insightful southern female at no extra charge
Putting the Civil in Civil War (3 docs) – Three brief primary sources which remind us of just how genuinely “civil” both sides tried to be during the Civil War
Primary Source – Excerpts from Thoreau’s “Life Without Principle” (1863) – PDF
Jourdon Anderson Writes His Former Master (1865) – I can’t imagine a better example for teaching the importance of tone and good inferences
Novels and Novel Reading (1869) – Reverend J.T. Crane explains why reading novels is such a bad idea for most people. (Biographical Note: His son, Stephen Crane, became a famous American novelist.)
WJB’s “Cross of Gold” Speech – 1896 (Excerpts) – William Jennings Bryan argues for bimetallism, the future of the Democratic Party, and the presidency
WJB’s “Cross of Gold” Speech – 1896 (longer) – William Jennings Bryan argues for bimetallism, the future of the Democratic Party, and the presidency
Letter to Employees at Dallas Hospital After JFK Assassination (1963) – A hospital administrator praises the work of employees at the hospital where JFK and Gov. Connally were brought on Nov. 22nd, 1963.