A primary source is a firsthand account of an historical event created by someone who witnessed or participated in the event when it occurred.

A secondary source is a work of research that interprets or analyzes an historical event based upon other sources. Usually contains a bibliography.

To find primary sources such as published memoirs, collections of letters, autobiographies, and oral histories, consult The Bridge and WorldCat .

When searching for primary sources, use the following subheadings: correspondence, diaries, personal narratives, interviews, case studies .

Other useful keywords to apply to your search: document*, memoir*, autobiograph*, diary,
letter*, speech*, account* .

Print Resources

Encyclopedia of American Women in Business [R.R. HD6054.4.U6 K753 2004]
Handbook of U.S. Labor Statistics [R.R. HD8051.H36 2007]
Historical Encyclopedia of American Labor [R.R. HD8066.H57 2003]
The State of Working America 2006/2007 [R.R. HD 8051.S73 2006/07]
Working Americans, 1880-1999 [R.R. HD8066.D47 2000]

Journal Articles

America:History & Life
JSTOR
PAIS: Public Affairs Information Service
Sociology Abstracts

Using Journal & Newspaper Indexes to find Primary Sources

American Periodicals Series Online 1740-1900
New York Times , 1851-2003
Civil War Era Newspapers (Pennsylvania) , 1847-1874
Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective , 1860-1865
Early American Newspapers Digital , 1690-1900
HarpWeek, The Civil War Era , 1857-1865
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature [R.R. AI3 .P7], 1802-1902
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature [R.R. AI3.R48] , 1890-Present

Labor Resources on the Web

AFL-CIO: The Union Movement's Proud Past
American Labor History
A Brief History of the UMWA (United Mine Workers of America)
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Child Labor in New York City Tenements
Economic Policy Institute: Living Standards & Labor Markets
History Place: Child Labor in America  1908-1912 The Photographs of Lewis W. Hine
Illinois Labor History Society
Iowa Labor History Oral Project
LaborNet
U.S. Department of Labor: History at the Department of Labor
U.S. Minimum Wage History
The Way We Worked: Photographs from the National Archives
Women's Labor History Links
Women Working, 1800-1930
The World of Work: History of Work in Minnesota
Workday Minnesota
Mill Workers Oral Histories
History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web
Making of America

Regional Archives

Northfield Historical Society
Rice County Historical Society
Minnesota Historical Society
Immigration History Research Center
Social Welfare History Archives

Citation Sources

KnightCite
Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper