Massachusetts is one of the most historically rich states in the country. Our libraries, museums and historical societies have collected this history for those who are interested in learning more. As you do research, these items are some primary sources for you to consider using. A number are being digitized for access via the web. Others are still or will always be in their original form. You may want to check these sites for other library and archive collections.
Need a topic, but don't know where to start? Need some background information to help you build better searches? Start with some of these reference sources to browse and learn basic information about your topic.
Online: Forget Wikipedia or random Google searches! These sites are just as easy to search, but provide you with academic sources that you can include on your bibliography!
Print: Need something a bit more specific to a certain era or movement? We've got great reference books here in the library. Here's a small example of what we've got. Ask a librarian for help identifying a source that will apply to your area of research.
A Time for War by 
The Fever of 1721 by 
The encyclopedia of New England : the culture and history of an American region by Primary sources can come in a wide variety of forms. The key is limiting it to works that were created during the scope of the event under study. Here's a range of what you could find: books or pamphlets, newspapers or magazines, government documents, organizational records, diaries, letters, scrapbooks, paintings, photographs, maps, oral interviews, sound or video recordings, even websites or blogs.
Hints -
When searching the library catalog, add keywords like "sources", "personal narratives", "maps" or "photographs" to your topical search to find primary sources here in the library.
Following are some reputable sites to find primary source materials related to United States history:
Newspapers:
17th & 18th Centuries:
19th Century:
Citing your sources is one of the most important steps in doing research. RefWorks will allow you to store and organize your citations as well as easily create your bibliography/references (whether annotated or not) and final paper in the correct style.
You can use RefWorks to:
Chicago/Turabian Style is primarily used for history, but can also be used in other subjects. The Chicago style and the Turabian style are quite similar and often used interchangeably, but they are not identical. Ask your professor or check your syllabus to be sure you're using the right style.
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Eighth Edition by 
