Use these tips from the National Archives DocsTeach:
Why search here?
Start here for historical background research! Covers U.S., ancient, and modern world history with primary sources, encyclopedias, timelines, images, maps, and helpful topic centers.
Why search here?
Use Credo Reference when starting your research to gather background information on any subject, access topic pages and encyclopedia articles, and develop ideas for your research topic.
Primary sources are the "raw stuff" of history, created or experienced during the time period being studied.
Secondary sources analyze and interpret historical events, periods of time, or phenomena, and use primary sources to do so.
Explore the sections below to get started with your search for a primary source. The Digital Public Library of America is a great place to start. This list is robust, but not exhaustive! Depending on our topic you may want to search on your own for primary sources. Here are some tips:
The Digital Public Library of America includes over 40 million primary documents, photographs, and other primary sources from archives and libraries across the United States.
Primary Source Sets of interest:
EnCompass: A Rhode Island History Digital Textbook is a project of the Rhode Island Historical Society and Providence College. There are a small number of curated primary sources, some related to Roger Williams and Rhode Island American Indian communities.
The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) contains extensive collections of clothing, objects, crafts, and material culture from many Native American communities.
Pequot basket. Date unknown. The National Museum of the American Indian.