What are Primary Sources?  

Primary sources are actual records and artifacts that have survived from the past, often described as the “stuff” of history. The primary sources at the Library of Congress include published and unpublished documents and recordings such as books, correspondence, newspapers, advertisements, maps, laws, pamphlets, memoirs, narratives, speeches, public records, and music; as well as visual arts items such as photographs, paintings, cartoons and films. More than 13 million of these treasures have been digitized and are accessible electronically from www.loc.gov.