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U.S. History

Primary Sources

"Primary sources provide a window into the past—unfiltered access to the record of artistic, social, scientific and political thought and achievement during the specific period under study, produced by people who lived during that period." —Library of Congress

Below you will find guides from the National Archives staff that will help you explore, observe, analyze, and ask questions about primary source material before you think like an historian and draw your own conclusions and interpretations. 

Documents Link

Artifacts Link

Maps Link

Photographs Link

Posters Link

Political Cartoons Link

Guide to Cartoon Analysis

Motion Pictures Link

Sound Recordings Link