Research Guides: African American Literature: Primary Sources

Primary Sources

In literature, a “primary source” or, more specifically a “primary text,” generally means the literary work that is being read/studied/analyzed. Whenever possible, primary sources other than the author's works of literature should be consulted. An author's thoughts about his or her own work, or the thoughts of the author's contemporaries, can provide invaluable insight about the works of literature you are studying and cultural context for your argument.

Examples of primary sources are:

personal and professional correspondence
professional papers
diaries and memoirs
manuscripts
political documents
photographs and other images
works of art and literature
artifacts
speeches
autobiographies
interviews and oral histories
newspapers and magazine articles when written at the time of an event

From "Using Primary Sources in Literature." ENG213: Writing and Research about Literature.Nov 7, 2023, https://library.ship.edu/eng213

Databases for Finding Primary Sources

African American Poetry 1760-1900
African-American Poetry 1760-1900¸ published by ProQuest, and formerly by Chadwyck-Healey¸ contains the full text of almost 3¸000 poems written between 1760 and 1900. Poets included are among those listed in Afro-American Poetry and Drama¸ 1760-1975¸ by W.P. French et al.
Coverage: 1760 - 1900
African Writers Series
The African Writers Series offers access to key works from the highly acclaimed Heinemann's African Writers Series. This series provides seminal works from the canon of African literature of the twentieth century¸ covering such authors as Steve Biko¸ Ama Ata Aidoo¸ and Buchi Emecheta. Top novels and short stories¸ along with drama and poetry¸ are fully searchable and richly indexed. Author biographies are included.
Coverage: 1962 - present
Black Studies Center
Black Studies Center consists of scholarly journals, commissioned overview essays by top scholars in Black Studies, historic indexes, and The Chicago Defender newspaper from 1910-1975. The components of Black Studies Center are:
Schomburg Studies on teh Black Experience
Black Studies Periodicals Database (IIBP)
The Chicago Defender
Black Literature Index

Finding Literary Works

LitFinder
LitFinder provides the opportunity for complete appreciation and study of great literary works by offering access to more than 135¸000 full-text poems¸ stories¸ plays and more. It puts complete works - and additional information sources such as biographies¸ essays and explanations - into the hands of students and researchers for further study¸ evaluation and enjoyment

Finding Newspapers

African American Newspapers: 19th century¸ Parts 1-5 (Accessible Archives)
This collection of African-american Newspapers contains information about the cultural life and history during the 1800s¸ and is rich with first-hand reports of the major events and issues of the day¸ including the Mexican War¸ Presidential and congressional addresses¸ Congressional abstracts¸ business and commodity markets¸ the humanities¸ world travel and religion. They also contain large numbers of early biographies¸ vital statistics¸ essays and editorials¸ poetry and prose¸ and advertisements all of which embody the African-American experience.
Coverage: 1827 - 1876
African American Newspapers¸ 1827-1998 (Readex)
African American Newspapers¸ 1827-1998 provides online access to approximately 270 U.S. newspapers chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience. This unique collection features papers from more than 35 states including many rare and historically significant 19th century titles. Newly digitized¸ these newspapers published by or for African Americans can now be browsed and searched as never before. Supported by the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center.
Coverage: 1827-1998
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
This site allows you to search and view newspaper pages from 1880-1922 and find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress as part of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).
Coverage: 1880-1922
Early American Newspapers¸ Series I: 1690-1876
Offers more than 700 historical American newspapers from 23 states and the District of Columbia printed between 1690 and 1876. Focusing largely on the 18th century¸ Series 1 is based on Clarence S. Brigham's "History and Bibliography of American Newspapers¸ 1690-1820" and other authoritative bibliographies. The core of the collection is formed by American Antiquarian Society (AAS) founder Isaiah Thomas' own collection of colonial and early national period newspapers and supplemented by issues added by Thomas' successors at the AAS.
Coverage: 1690-1876