Duke's Rubenstein Special Collections Library has original books and manuscripts from various eras and areas of history. You will identify these collections in the Library catalog.
There are also a large number of primary sources housed in specialized online databases available through the Duke LIbrary Subscriptions. Here are a few examples- many more are available through the Library catalog.
19th Century British Pamphlets is a collection of over 20,000 digitised significant British pamphlets created by Research Libraries UK. Provides primary sources with which to study the socio-political and economic landscape of 19th century Britain.
Early American Imprints I (Evans) is the digital version of the Early Amerian Imprints, a microfilm set based on the American Bibliography by Charles Evans and enhanced by Roger Bristol's Supplement to Evans' American Bibliography. The databases includes more than 37,000 broadsides, pamphlets, and books published from 1639 to 1800. Early American Imprints II covers the period of 1801 to 1819.
Sabin Americana contains works about the Americas published throughout the world from 1500 to the early 1900's. Included are books, pamphlets, serials and other documents that provide original accounts of exploration, trade, colonialism, slavery and abolition, the western movement, Native Americans, military actions and much more.
Primary Source compilations suggested by Professor Byers:
This is an example of a photograph from World War II from the Rubenstein Special Collections Library
