UTEP Library Research Guides: Progressive Era: Databases / Articles

What is a Primary or Secondary Source?

Primary sources are the "raw" material of research. They allow one to study evidence firsthand without the interpretations or analyses of others. Examples of primary sources include the following:

Autobiographies
Birth certificates
Court reports
Diaries
Letters
Speeches
Personal narratives
Eyewitness accounts
Government documents

To find Primary Sources in the University Library's online catalog, use keywords such as "letters," "diaries," "correspondence," "manuscripts," and "narratives" with your topic to find historical documents or first-person accounts.

Secondary sources are the interpretation of historical events and people that provide the student with the author's analyses and evaluations. Secondary sources allow the student to understand how others have viewed and interpreted the topic or event.

What is a Scholarly Article?

A scholarly or peer-reviewed article is one that is reviewed by a panel of experts in the field. The following are a few characteristics of a scholarly article:

An abstract, or summary, before the main text of the article
Footnotes and/or bibliographies that cite sources
Graphs or charts detailing the research process and/or results
Publication by a professional or academic organization
Discipline-specific language

Scholarly vs. Popular Journals - Short Video

This short video discusses how to distinguish between scholarly and popular journals.

Primary Source Databases

ProQuest Congressional Publications (U.S. Serial Set and Serial Set Maps) (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Provides full text/full image access to the U.S. Serial Set and Serial Set Maps, comprehensive, ongoing collections of U.S. Government publications compiled under the direction of Congress. Subject coverage includes many aspects of American life from the late 18th century up to 1969, ranging from farming, westward expansion, and scientific exploration to politics, law, international relations, business, and manufacturing. Materials indexed include Congressional legislative reports and documents as well as executive agency and departmental reports ordered to be printed by Congress prior to 1969. Also includes the American State Papers, maps, illustrations, photos, and lithographs. Coverage: 1789 - 1969.
https://search.proquest.com/congressional

A selected list of primary source databases.

Access Newspaper Archive
Full text/full image access to an online archive of selected historical newspapers from around the U.S. papers, including the Southwest.
Making of America - Cornell
A digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. This site provides access to 267 monograph volumes and over 100,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints. Collaborative project with Univ. of Michigan.
Making of America - Univ. of Michigan
Digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. Strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. The collection currently contains approximately 10,000 books and 50,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints. Collaborative project with Cornell University.
HeritageQuest Online
Full text/full image collections of research materials for tracing family history and American culture. Includes family and local history books as well as United States Census data from 1790-1930.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries: Colonial to 1950
Full text/full image access to collection of North American women's correspondence and diaries from Colonial times to 1950. Subject coverage includes American history, Canadian history, women's studies, gender and diversity studies, biographies, language and literature, sociology, and genealogy. Includes items drawn from journal articles, pamphlets, newsletters, monographs, and conference proceedings. Includes materials that illustrate the role and status of women, personal attitudes and reactions to specific historical or personal events or individuals, and descriptions that convey the life and times of the past.
North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories
Full text/full image access to North American immigrant correspondence, diaries, and oral histories. Labor history, ethnic and diversity studies, sociology, language and literature, women's studies, and genealogy. Derived from letters, books, diaries, pamphlets, journal articles, photographs, scrapbooks, cartoons, autobiographies, and interview transcripts. Coverage (overall): 1840 - present; bulk from 1920 - 1980
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000
Provides full text/full image access to primary source materials pertaining to U.S. history and U.S. women's history. Subject coverage focuses on history of women in social movements in the United States from 1600 - 2000. Publications include book, film, website reviews, notes from archives, and teaching tools.

19th Century U.S. Newspapers (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text/full-image access to selected primary source newspaper content published during the 19th century from both urban and rural regions throughout the United States. Subject coverage focuses on the daily life, politics, culture, ethnic groups, and major historical events from 19th century America, including the American Civil War, African-Americans, Native Americans, Western migration, Antebellum-era life, women's rights, labor groups, and more.
https://go.gale.com/ps/start.do?p=NCNP&u=txshracd2603

African American Newspapers (1827-198)
Full text/full image access U.S. newspapers that chronicle the African American experience. Materials indexed include articles, obituaries, advertisements, editorials, and illustrations.
Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980
Subject coverage includes every major theme in American history with heading for: Populist/Progressive Era, 1890-1913.
Periodicals Archive Online
Full text/full image access to scholarly journals in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Subject coverage includes anthropology, black studies, business and management, economics, education, fine arts, geography, history, law, languages and literature, music, performing arts, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion and theology, sociology, and women's studies. Some citations include abstracts. Coverage ranging from 1770 to 1995.
Los Angeles Times
Full text coverage from 1881.
New York Times
Considered by many the newspaper of record for the United States. Full text coverage from 1851.
Social Welfare History Archives - Univ. of Minnesota
Archives of voluntary-sector social service and social reform organizations and the personal papers of individual leaders in the field. Sources for original research on the history of social service and social reform focused on, but not limited to, late 19th and 20th century. Coverage includes: social casework and counseling services, community organization, recreation, settlement houses, child welfare, aging, race relations, community planning, services to migrants and immigrants, public health and volunteerism. Also houses extensive collection of published materials in the welfare field, including books, periodicals, pamphlets, reports, and newsletters.

Secondary Source Databases

Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive bibliographic index for multidisciplinary literature. Formats indexed include books, newspapers, and magazines, as well as scholarly and peer-reviewed journals. Subject coverage includes social sciences, arts and humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, health sciences, multicultural studies, and many more. Most citations include abstracts and full text or link to full text content from other providers, based on institutional subscriptions. This database is made possible by TexShare.
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=a9h

A selected list of secondary source databases.

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Provides complete full-text access to an archive of back issues of selected scholarly journals from the following subscribed collections: Arts & Sciences (I - XI), Life Sciences, and Ireland. Subject coverage includes: African and African American Studies, anthropology, archaeology, architecture, art and art history, Asian Studies, biology, botany, British Studies, business, classical studies, economics, education, film studies, finance, folklore, geography, health sciences, history, Ireland, Jewish Studies, language and literature, Latin American Studies, law, linguistics, mathematics, Middle East Studies, music, paleontology, performing arts, philosophy, political science, psychology, public administration, religion, science, Slavic Studies, sociology, Women's Studies, statistics and zoology. Other types of publications indexed include monographs, pamphlets, images, and manuscripts.
https://www.jstor.org/action/showAdvancedSearch
America: History and Life (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive bibliographic index for international literature concerning the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Materials indexed include journal and magazine articles, books, book and media reviews, conference proceedings, and dissertations. Subject coverage beyond history includes culture, gender studies, psychology, literature, politics, and more. Citations include abstracts and some include links to full-text content based on institutional subscriptions.
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=31h
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Provides access to full-text scholarly journals in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Subject coverage includes African Studies, Asian Studies, economics, education, film, theater, performing arts, history, Judaic Studies, language, literature, Latin American Studies, music, philosophy, political science, religion, and Women's Studies.
https://muse.jhu.edu/
Films on Demand: Digital Educational Video This link opens in a new window
State-of-the-art streaming video platform produced by the Films Media Group (FMG), composed of Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware. Streaming video content, ranging from clips to complete documentary films, may be incorporated into content management systems, online lesson plans, distance learning courseware, or electronic library card catalog systems. Several titles include closed captioning. Subject coverage is multidisciplinary and includes humanities, social sciences, business, economics, science, mathematics, health, medicine, archival films and newsreels, and much more. Updates vary by title with new content added annually.
https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlayLists.aspx?wid=104347

Heinonline
Primary and secondary source information. Full-text/full image access to collections of historical international literature derived from legal periodicals, criminal justice journals, and other law-related publications. Coverage typically ranges from the earliest available issue.
American Periodicals Series Online, 1740 - 1940
Primary and secondary source information. Full text/full image access to a collection of American magazines and journals spanning the development of the United States from colonial times to the advent of U.S. involvement in World War II.
Library of Texas (LoT)
Allows for simultaneous searching of online catalogs from both academic and public libraries in Texas as well as an array of TexShare-sponsored databases and other collections. Resources are grouped together by subject, region, and type of library. Many search results include full text articles or link to full text. Search results include an Interlibrary Loan request form for materials not available at the UTEP Library.
WorldCat
Bibliographic listing of books in most U.S. libraries (Non UTEP titles can be obtained by using Interlibrary Loan)
Proquest Dissertations and Thesis
Nearly all doctoral dissertations and Master's theses accepted at North American academic institutions. All titles published since 1997 include 24-page previews and complete full-text; selected full-text is available for earlier dates. NOTE: Includes all of UTEP's Master's theses and doctoral dissertations.
TO VIEW ALL HISTORY DATABASES CLICK HERE.