Primary Documents

Lifehacker posted a tremendous resource for social studies and English teachers the other day: a list of primary document sites available online. I started using primary documents extensively in my classroom in the second half of the year last year, and found that it bared tremendous fruit. Not only did it engage the students more effectively than our poorly contracted textbook, but it also allowed for students to get multiple perspectives on the same historical event (the Crusades accomplished this best). On top of the great list from Lifehacker, here's a few other sites I've found useful:

• Internet History Sourcebooks: My favorite world history resource. Paul Halsall of Fordham has put together a huge range of documents from world history. Organized incredibly well.
• NY Public Library Digital Gallery: Is rivaled only by the LOC of congress in terms of depth and breadth of subject matter.
• Voices of Civil Rights: Video, audio, and text from people involved in the Black Freedom Struggle
• Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Segregation: Powerful
• Documenting the American South: Great resource for US history and government.
• Labyrinth: Medieval European Resources
• Directory of Open Access Journals: Not primary, but a great resource.