African-American History - HIST191 - Primary Sources

From the Sheet Music Collection at the John Hay Library at Brown University, the African-American sheet music includes songs from the heyday of antebellum blackface minstrelsy in the 1850s and from the abolitionist movement of the same period.

This site contains links to many resources; be sure the document you use is a primary source or transcription of one, and not a secondary explanation.

An open access digital library of African cultural heritage materials created by Michigan State University in collaboration with museums, archives, scholars, and communities around the world.

By centering on the experiences and perspectives of African Americans, this free online collection imbues the study of Black history with a deeper understanding of the humanity of people who have pursued the quest for freedom, and the significance of movements like Black Lives Matter.

The Black Newspapers Collection presents newspapers, including college papers, that were owned by, operated by, or intended for Black communities in Illinois. These titles focus on the 20th century, but range from 1897 (the only surviving issue of the Chicago Reflector) to 2003 (the Lincolnian.)

The National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Library of Congress have produced an invaluable look at the Civil Rights Movement through the Civil Rights History Project. Over the course of five years, the personal histories and testimonials of unsung activists of the 1950s and 1960s, were captured, and now, this unique collection of stories is available to all.

Search or browse various collections on this site hosted by the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

Sections I, II, and III of this exhibit look at slavery, the 13th-15th Amendments, and immigration from the beginning of the union to the early 20th century. Sections IV and V of this exhibit look at civil rights and the idea of "separate but equal" in schools.

Harlem History presents a wealth of archival treasures and scholarship from Columbia University about the history of one of the world's most famous and influential neighborhoods.

A set of primary sources from the Library of Congress selected for student use.

About 7,610 photographs depicting life, primarily in East Africa, between about 1860 and 1960.

A project of Fordham University, this page brings together links to primary sources from all over the Internet.

" Spanning the years 1915-1968, with most dating from 1940 to 1960, these records document the work and procedures of the organization as it combated racial discrimination in the nation’s courts, establishing in the process a public interest legal practice that was unprecedented in American jurisprudence."

Click through Parts One, Two, and Three in the upper left to view images and descriptions from a collection of photographs taken by John H. White, a 28-year-old photographer with the Chicago Daily News from June through October 1973 and briefly during the spring of 1974.

A powerful search tool that collates digitally available materials from over 1,000 libraries and archives across the United States, Umbra Search provides centralized access to primary source material pertaining to African American culture and history.

From the Digital Public Library of America, this set of primary sources highlights the multi-media visual art of this era, which vibrantly celebrates African-American and African history and culture.

This collection present ten plays written by Hurston (1891-1960), author, anthropologist, and folklorist. The plays reflect Hurston's life experience, travels, and research, especially her knowledge of folklore in the African-American South.

Explore 3-D images of 200 sites on all seven continents. Cyark was founded in 2003 to digitally record, archive and share the world's most significant cultural heritage and ensure that these places continue to inspire wonder and curiosity for decades to come. Narrow by country or theme using the dropdown menus, or use the date range sliders to choose a beginning and/or ending date.

This collection contains cultural heritage materials gathered during the World Digital Library (WDL) project, including thousands of items contributed by partner organizations worldwide as well as content from Library of Congress collections.