LibGuides: US History: Exploring Demographic Groups in WWII America: Primary Sources

FIND PRIMARY SOURCES IN

HISTORICAL NEWS DATABASES

Always limit your search to the date range relevant to your topic.
Try searching terms, phrases, etc. that were commonly used at the time in relation to your topic. For example: Great War instead of World War I.
Look for document-type limiters that may improve your results, such as article, commentary, editorial, front page / cover story, letter to the editor, etc.

Citations can be exported from this source to NoodleTools.

Access World News -- Historical and Current This link opens in a new window
Search thousands of credible, global news sources from more than 200 countries and territories. Find articles organized by eras in U.S. History in the companion database America's Historical Newspapers, 1690-2000. TIP: Sort results by BEST MATCH.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools. For a list of suggested topics, click here.
America's Historical Newspapers 1690 – 2000 This link opens in a new window
A timeline-based interface divided into key eras in U.S. and world history from 1690 to 2000. Each issue/event includes an overview, and links to related articles in newspapers of the time.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
Liberty Magazine Historical Archive, 1924-1950 This link opens in a new window
Liberty flourished when illustrated magazines were the most important form of mass entertainment. Liberty charted the moods, attitudes, lifestyles, fads, and fortunes of middle class America through three significant decades.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
New York Times: 1851-2020 This link opens in a new window
Contains every issue of The New York Times published from its first issue on Sept.18,1851.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 This link opens in a new window
A digital archive of the Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature, the ultimate index of subjects in the popular press, with full text where available. Limit your date range to the war years.
The Times (London) Digital Archive 1785-2014 This link opens in a new window
More than 200 years of news in full facsimile images from London's premier newspaper. TIPS: Choose Advanced Search and limit by Publication Date. Limit Document Type to Editorial.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.

HIstorical News Databases by Demographic Group

Asian Life in America This link opens in a new window
"This primary source collection offers an expansive window into centuries of Asian American history and daily life – as well as the ways popular culture has portrayed and perceived people of Asian descent. " This database covers from the early 18th century to the early 21st century.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
Black Life in America This link opens in a new window
"This primary source collection offers an expansive window into centuries of African American history, culture and daily life—as well as the ways the dominant culture has portrayed and perceived people of African descent. " This database covers from the early 18th century to the early 21st century.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
Hispanic Life in America This link opens in a new window
This primary source collection offers an expansive window into centuries of Hispanic American history, culture, and daily life – as well as the ways the dominant culture has portrayed and perceived people of Hispanic descent. This database covers from the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the early 21st century.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.

History Databases also Containing Primary Sources.

African American Experience : The American Mosaic This link opens in a new window
Through primary sources and the lens of prominent scholars, this database gives voice to the African American experience from its African origins to the present day...Through daily content updates, this database keeps pace with the ongoing evolution of the African American story via the most current literature in the field.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
African-American History This link opens in a new window
Overview essays, biographies, primary sources, videos and slideshows, images, timelines, and maps and graphs in African-American history.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
American History This link opens in a new window
Overview essays, biographies, primary sources, images, timelines, and more in American political, military, social, and cultural history.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
American Indian History This link opens in a new window
Overview essays, biographies, events and topics, primary source documents, timelines, maps and charts, images and videos on the history of American Indians.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
Gale in Context: U.S. History This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive collection of reference sources, primary documents, periodicals, maps and multimedia.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
Issues & Controversies in History This link opens in a new window
Examines controversial issues in United States and world history, supported by nearly 2000 primary source documents from antiquity to the present.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.
Milestone Documents - Factcite This link opens in a new window
More than 1,500 of the most-studied primary source documents from U.S. and world history, accompanied by in-depth commentary and analysis from experts. Relevant sections: U.S. History II: 1865 to the Present; African American History. NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.

FIND PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIAL IN

BOOKS /eBOOKS AND REFERENCE BOOKS / eBOOKS

USING RHINOCAT

Find PRIMARY SOURCES by or about a person relevant to your topic in RhinoCat.

Do an Author search using the name of a person relevant to your topic to find books, letters, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies written by that person.
Do a Keyword search using the name of a person to identify writings, interviews, and speeches in anthologies and collections.
Keywords you can combine with your topic or person's name include speeches, diaries, interviews, and correspondence. For example:
- Progressive era speeches
- Theodore Roosevelt correspondence

Find PRIMARY SOURCES on your topic in RhinoCat using Advanced Search.

Click here to open the Advanced Search page.
In the first Keyword search line, replace xxxxx with your search term.
In the next Keyword search line, change Keyword to Subject and paste in (sources OR diaries OR narratives)

VISIT

The National World War II Museum Digital Collections

Search for your demographic group to discover photos and interviews with veterans and others.

Primary Source Videos

Classroom Video On Demand This link opens in a new window
To find primary source videos about your topic, go to Advanced Search and enter your topic search term(s). Under Filters, click on All Types and select Newsreel or Primary Source.
NOTE: Citations can be exported to NoodleTools.

Find Primary Sources on the Internet

To find Primary Sources on the Internet using Google

Copy and paste the phrase Documents OR "primary sources" AND your topic keyword(s) into Google.

For example:

If you have any questions, see
Mr. Previti, Mrs. Lovallo,
or Mr. Padgett

OR email us at

rpreviti@taftschool.org

blovallo@taftschool.org

spadgett@taftschool.org

We're here to help!

Scan pages from books and other print sources

including title page and back side of title page

and email the PDF to your Taft email

with

GENIUS SCAN

Genius Scan Enterprise - Apps on Google Play

Get it from the App Store

PLEASE NOTE: Do not copy and paste complete citations from electronic sources. NoodleTools cannot generate footnotes from copied and pasted citations.

To cite a Primary Source, first choose the NoodleTools option that best describes where you found it:

Database = an electronic source found in a Taft Subscription Database such as Gale eBooks.
- You can export citations from many of our databases. Look for next to the database name.
- If you find a document in a Taft Subscription Database that doesn't have the export feature, you will create an original citation.
- You must provide the permanent URL for your source. Look for any of the following on the page: permalink, persistent link, stable link, durable link, "Get link", Cite, Citable Link.
Website = a document found on the Websites page of the course guide or a search engine such as Google or Sweetsearch.
Print or In Hand = a document found in a book in the library. For example: in a reference book or a secondary source book.

Next, determine what kind of primary source you are citing:

Look at the list of options in NoodleTools. Is it a newspaper article, a speech, a letter, or another item listed? If so, choose that item type.
If you are not sure, Anthology / Collection enables you to cite a source found within another source. For a document found on a website, Web Page works well in many cases.

The Hulbert Taft, Jr. Library

US History: Exploring Demographic Groups in WWII America: Primary Sources

Primary Sources

Sources created by those who lived it

Tips for Citing Primary Sources in NoodleTools

FIND PRIMARY SOURCES IN

HISTORICAL NEWS DATABASES

Always limit your search to the date range relevant to your topic.

Try searching terms, phrases, etc. that were commonly used at the time in relation to your topic. For example: Great War instead of World War I.

Look for document-type limiters that may improve your results, such as article, commentary, editorial, front page / cover story, letter to the editor, etc.