Primary Sources

A guide to the best resources for primary sources in UTSA databases, online digital collections, government sources, and more.

Government Documents

ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive full image coverage of U.S. Congressional publications 1789-present, Updated daily. Hearings (1824-present); Congressional Research Service Reports (CRS) (1916-present); House and Senate Documents/Reports (1817-present); Legislative Histories (1969-current); Bills & Laws (1776-present); Vote Reports (1987-present); Historical Maps & Images (1789-2007); Congressional Record (daily and bound versions) (1789-present); Regulations; Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations; Presidential Executive Orders.
Member profiles, committee assignments, financial disclosure statements and voting records.
Historic Documents Series Online (Sage) This link opens in a new window
Published annually since 1972, each volume in the Historic Documents Series includes approximately one hundred documents covering the most significant events of the year. These documents range from presidential speeches, international agreements, and Supreme Court decisions to U.S. governmental reports, scientific findings, and cultural discussions.

Territorial Papers of the United States (Carter Papers)
Official records of the 28 territories established between 1787 and 1912 to south and west of the 13 original colonies including Mississippi, Indiana, Florida, Wisconsin and Michigan. Affairs in the territories were under the general direction of the Department of State until 1873 and the Department of the Interior after 1873.
From the National Archives and available online in HathiTrust
National Archives Catalog
Search the National Archives of the United States. To find digital records that are available for viewing or download, check the radio button for "Archival Materials Online."
Charters of Freedom
From the National Archives. The Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and U.S. Constitution. Background, history, and images.
Our Documents - 100 Milestone Documents
100 milestone documents, compiled by the National Archives and Records Administration, and drawn primarily from its nationwide holdings. The documents chronicle United States history from 1776 to 1965. Includes the Articles of Confederation, Monroe Doctrine, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Emancipation Proclamation, Chinese Exclusion Act, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, and more.

Founders Online
Correspondence and other writings of 6 major shapers of the U.S.:
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (and family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. Over 149,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the authoritative Founding Fathers Papers projects.

"The National Archives, through its National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), has entered into a cooperative agreement with The University of Virginia Press to create this site and make freely available online the historical documents of the Founders of the United States of America."
Foreign Relations of the United States - FRUS (1945-1988)
The official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Available in a web-based edition or downloadable e-book edition. Search within the volumes or browse them by administration. From the 1800s through the Reagan Administration. Department of State, Office of the Historian.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
History Part I: 1941-1947
History of the early, pre-CIA, years of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Declassified document. Available online in PDF.

Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
DNSA contains a wealth of declassified primary documents relating to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945 obtained through the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Divided into more than 50 collections on Cuba, Mexico, South and Central America, Afghanistan, the former Soviet Union, South Africa, Iran, China, Korea, Vietnam, and other areas. Documents include memos, diplomatic dispatches, meeting notes, independent reports, briefing papers, White House communications, emails, and confidential letters. Also see National Security Archive homepage for Unredacted (blog) and news postings.
Immigration: Records of the INS - 1880-1930 (ProQuest History Vault) This link opens in a new window
Turn of the century files cover immigration of various groups to the United States, including Japanese and Chinese immigration, European immigration, and Mexican immigration between 1906-1930. There are also extensive files on the regulation of prostitution and white slavery and on suppression of radical aliens.

U.K. Parliamentary Archives
Provides links to available digitized British government documents as well as information and primary sources on a variety of historical topics.
Official Gazettes and Civil Society Documentation
A digital collection of official gazettes and other key historical government documentation from ten African and Persian Gulf countries where the integrity of the public record is at risk.

Historical Statistics of the U.S. (Cambridge) This link opens in a new window
Historical statistics for the U.S. from colonial times through the 20th century, covering population, work and welfare, economic structure and performance, economic sectors, as well as governance and international relations. Introductory essays for each topic provide context and highlight key tables.

Census Atlas of the United States
Data from decennial censuses prior to 2000 support nearly 150 maps and figures, providing context and an historical perspective for many of the topics presented.

RAND State Statistics This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive portfolio of statistics for all 50 states. Datasets are broken down into the following categories: Business and Economics, Community, Education, Energy and Environment, Government Finance, Health and Socioeconomic, Population and Demographics. View data on a map. Dates of coverage vary.

Manpower in Economic Growth: The American Record Since 1800. by Stanley Lebergott
Call Number: HD8066 .L38 1964
U.S. Labor data from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, not easily found elsewhere.

Europa World This link opens in a new window
Current, authoritative information on world affairs at the country and region level, including economic, political, and geographic background information, as well as statistical data and analysis by country. Up-to-date directory information is provided for government and politics, society and media, business and commerce, and international organizations. Bibliographies for countries and regions provide sources for further reading. Only a few people can use this database at one time.
CQ Political Handbook of the World This link opens in a new window
Maps, quick facts, and an overview of each country including government, political parties and communication.

CIA World Factbook Country Profiles
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. Our Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, a World Oceans map, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.