Primary Source Sets | Minnesota Historical Society

Compelling primary sources strengthen social studies lessons for students of all grade levels, but finding the right source can be time-consuming. We have collected sets of sources from the Library of Congress, on topics that align with student abilities and standards in multiple grade levels, to save on research time and encourage the use of more primary sources in the classroom.

Early elementary students can analyze photographs, such as the ones in Kids in School and Where People Live, while high school students can dig deeper into more conceptual and complex topics, such as Colonialism and Urbanization. A great place to start for all learners is a basic structure of source analysis: Observe, Think, Wonder. The questions students generate can lead to more questions and authentic conversations about historical topics.

Each set includes a brief paragraph on the sources' historical context and ideas to reflect upon related to culturally relevant pedagogy.

Life Pauperism

Pauperism among American Negroes

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Religion

Religion of American Negroes

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Crime

Crime among American Negroes

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Landholders

Negro landholders in various states of the United States

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life-Classes

Proportion of whites and Negroes in the different classes of occupations in the United States

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Daily Life Illiteracy

Illiteracy of the American Negroes compared with that of other nations

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life School Enrollment

Enrollment in the Negro common schools of the former slave states of the United States

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Conjugal Condition

Conjugal condition of American Negroes according to age periods

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Daily Life Occupations

Occupations in which 10,000 or more American Negroes are engaged

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Daily Life Occupations

Occupations in which American Negroes are engaged

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart

Life Newspaper

American Negro newspapers and periodicals

Date: 1900
Creator: W.E.B. DuBois
Type: Chart