About Primary Source Databases
Primary source databases give you access to original materials created during the historical periods you’re studying. These collections often include letters, newspapers, government records, photographs, and other firsthand documents that provide direct evidence of past events and perspectives.
Many databases organize these materials thematically—by topic, time period, or region—and include tools for searching, browsing, and viewing digitized content.
Using primary source databases helps you engage with history as it was recorded and build interpretations grounded in authentic evidence.
Primary Source Databases through the EMU Library
The EMU Library offers a growing collection of primary source databases.
EMU login is required to access these resources.
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19th Century British Pamphlets This link opens in a new windowSignificant British pamphlets from the 19th century held in research libraries across the United Kingdom.
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Black Thought and Culture (via Alexander Street)Search or browse pages of non-fiction writings by major American black leaders.
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Border and Migration Studies Online (via Alexander Street)Search or browse streaming videos and documents on worldwide border and migration issues.
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Civil Rights and Social Justice This link opens in a new windowPublications covering civil rights in the United States, including hearings, legislative histories, reports from the Commission on Civil Rights, articles, and more.
Note: The EMU Library does not subscribe to HeinOnline materials listed under the tab Scholarly Articles & Other Documents.
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Detroit Free Press Historical (1831 - 1999) This link opens in a new window
Search and browse the Detroit Free Press backfile in pdf. Includes news, editorials, ads, photos, graphics.
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Disability in the Modern World (via Alexander Street) This link opens in a new windowPrimary and secondary sources related to disability.
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Early Encounters in North America: Peoples, Culture, and the Environment (via Alexander Street)Search or browse documents related to the relationships among peoples in North America from 1534 to 1850.
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Google Newspaper Archives This link opens in a new windowSearch a large number of old newspapers scanned by Google (U.S. and international). Years vary by title: some go back into the late 1700's and some forward to the 2000's.
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HarpWeek (Harper's Weekly 1857-1912) This link opens in a new windowSearch or browse historical issues of Harper’s Weekly.
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Historic Documents This link opens in a new windowDocuments on significant events from 1972 to the present.
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JSTOR Open Community Collections This link opens in a new window
Collections of original materials including artworks, photographs, publications, recordings, and other artifacts from libraries, museums, and archives around the world.
Access Tips: Select Eastern Michigan University in the drop down Contributor menu to limit to EMU collections only.
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LGBT Thought and Culture (via Alexander Street)Search and browse books, periodicals, and archival materials documenting LGBT political, social and cultural movements throughout the twentieth century and into the present day.
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Manuscript Women's Letters and Diaries (via Alexander Street) This link opens in a new windowSearch and browse personal writings of women from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
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Michigan Chronicle Historical (1939-2010) This link opens in a new windowSearch and browse historical news, editorials, advertisements, and photos from the Michigan Chronicle, a Detroit-based newspaper. Includes first-hand accounts and coverage of politics, society, and community events.
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Michigan Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new windowSearch and browse the backfiles of Battle Creek, Lansing, and Port Huron newspapers in PDF format. Includes news articles, editorials, advertisements, photos, and graphics.
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New York Times Backfile (1851 - 2019) This link opens in a new windowCover to cover in pdf. Includes news, editorials, photos, graphics, ads.
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North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories (via Alexander Street)Search and browse contemporaneous letters and diaries, oral histories, interviews, and other personal narratives providing personal views of what it meant to immigrate to America and Canada between 1800 and 1950.
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Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law This link opens in a new windowComprehensive collection of legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world, along with sources on free African Americans before 1870. Includes statutes, federal and state cases, and hundreds of related books and pamphlets.Note: The EMU Library does not subscribe to HeinOnline materials listed under the tab Scholarly Articles & Other Documents.
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Struggles for Freedom: Southern Africa This link opens in a new windowDocuments the complex and varied liberation struggles in Southern Africa. Includes materials on colonial rule, exile, international intervention, and global networks that supported resistance movements.
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Student Activism This link opens in a new windowCovers student protest, political action, and equal-rights advocacy in the United States from the 20th and early 21st centuries.
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Twentieth Century Religious Thought II,III,IV (via Alexander Street)Cross-search works related to worldwide religious thinkers from the early 1900s until the first decade of the 21st century. Covers voices from Islam, Judaism, Eastern Religions, and Christianity.
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Women & Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 (via Alexander Street)Documents the history of women in social movements in the U.S. between 1600 and 2000.
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Women's Magazine Archive This link opens in a new windowArchival backfiles of leading women's interest magazines. Coverage ranges from the late-19th century through 2005.
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World Heritage Sites: Africa This link opens in a new windowVisual, contextual, and spatial documentation of African heritage sites.
Ask a Librarian
Library of Michigan Databases
Apply online for a Library of Michigan card and get access to their newspaper, history, and other databases. All Michigan residents and also out-of-state students enrolled in a Michigan college or university are eligible.
