Original Sources | Britannica Digital Learning

About Original Sources

Original Sources is the reliable fact-checking reference of history-makers’ greatest accomplishments—from the dawn of civilization to the present.
This vast collection provides primary sources and personal accounts of humankind’s social, political, legal, and religious development, as well as some of the greatest discoveries, insights, and literary achievements in the words of the actual authors, discoverers, and knowledge-seekers.
Find primary sources across twelve subject areas: World History, U.S. History, Political Science, Law, Literature, Science, Mathematics, Social Science, Philosophy, Religion, Language, and Language Arts.

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Features of Original Sources

Learn from amazing contributors.

Madeleine Albright, Henry Ford, John Hancock, Malcolm X, Edgar Allan Poe, Confucius, Dante, and Pasteur, or Thomas Jefferson’s account of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Create historical context around current events.

Comprehensive topics cover all of world history and current political documents — speeches, essays, biographies, landmark court decisions, editorials, and more.
Support deeper connections for students.

Bring events to life—read and study the first inaugural address of Franklin D. Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy discussing Soviet missiles in Cuba.
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