Political Science Research Guide: Primary Sources

Recent History (events in last ten years) Newspaper Databases

• Canadian Newsstand: Major Dailies
  This full-text database provides indexing to the top Newspapers in Canada.  Among the 18 titles are The Globe and Mail, National Post, Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Star, Regina Leader Post, Edmonton Journal, Vancouver Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press.
   
• EBCSOhost Newspaper Source Plus
  Collection of Newspapers from around the Globe.  All are Full-Text
   
• New York Times
  Provide searching to its complete back archive as well as full-text access to Newspaper articles from 1987-Present and from 1851-1922.

Historical Newspaper Databases: Canada

• Alberta Heritage Digitization Project
  Indexes Alberta Newspapers from 1885-2001 and provides the Full-Text to them. 
   
• Manitobia
  Indexes early Newspapers in Manitoba and provides the Full-Text to them.  Coverage varies by title but ranges from 1859-1919.
   
• Saskatchewan News Index
  Indexes Saskatchewan Newspapers from 1884-2000. 

Historical Newspapers: World

• British Newspapers 1600-1900.
  Full-Text Collection of Historical Newspapers from the United Kingdom and the British Colonies.
   
• Eighteenth Century Journals: A Portal to Newspapers and Periodicals 1685-1815
  Full-Text Collection of Historical Newspapers from the United Kingdom.  Most are for England.
   
• New York Times
  Provide searching to its complete back archive as well as full-text access to Newspaper articles from 1987-Present and from 1851-1922.

Manitoba

• Hansard House and Committee Debates for the Legislative Assembly of Canada
  Online record of Debates occurring in the Manitoba Legislature beginning with the 35th Legislature in 1991.  Previous records of these debates can be found in Hardcover in the Library.

Canada

• Debates and Journals of the House of Commons and the Senate
  Provides Full-Text records of activity taking place in Parliament including House of Commons and Senate Debates taken from Hansard.

United States

• Congressional Record 1994-Present
  Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. GPO Access contains Congressional Record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities

Canada

•  CBC Archives
  CBC Archives contain a rich array of historical political events including videos of Leaders Debates during Elections. The archives are searchable and browseable. 

United States of American

• Commission on Presidential Debates
  Site contains the written transcripts of U.S. Presidential Debates since 1987

Canada

• Debates and Journals of the House of Commons and the Senate
  Provides Full-Text records of activity taking place in Parliament including House of Commons and Senate Debates taken from Hansard.
   
• Library and Archives Canada: Prime Ministers and Governors
  Collection of primary sources including speeches, papers, etc. It requires a bit of digging to get to papers in each collection.
• Canadianna 

  In 2018, CRKN merged with Canadiana.org, an organization dedicated to the preservation and access of Canada’s documentary heritage. As a merged organization, CRKN is expanding support for the digitization and preservation of, and access to, Canadian heritage content.

• Internet Modern History Sourcebook:  Colonial North America
  Texts from Historical figures in Canadian and U.S. Colonial Political History
   
• Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Canada
  Collection of historical Manuscripts, Proclamations and Statutes related to the birth of Canada.
   
• History of Federal Ridings since 1867
  Electronic resource that provides information on the electoral history of Canada since Confederation. Included you will find the names of all the candidates to all the federal elections as well as a description of all the ridings. 
   

United States

• GPO Access: Congress
  Searchable publication databases for various Congressional documents: bills, hearings, committee prints, congressional record, reports, public laws, history of bills
   
• Thomas
  From the Library of Congress, access to Bills, Congressional record, and House and Senate Committee reports
   
• GPO Access: Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents: 1993 through January 29, 2009
  Collection of proclamations , executive orders,  speeches, press conferences, communications to Congress and Federal agencies,  statements regarding bill signings and vetoes, appointments, nominations, acts approved by the President, nominations submitted to the Senate, White House announcements and press releases released by the White House Press Secretary.
   
• GPO Access: Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents:  January 29, 2009 to Present
  Continuation of Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents to present time.
   
• America Presidency Project: 1789-Last Presidency
  Rich collection of speeches, inaugural addresses, State of the Union Addresses, Media collections, etc, for U.S. presidents beginning with Woodrow Wilson.  Also includes The Messages and Papers of the President 1789-1913.
   
• Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
  Search or browse through documents from the office of the presidency of George Bush I through to George Bush II.
   
• From Revolution to Reconstruction: Presidents
  Collection of Presidential Historical Documents starting with George Washington and ending with George W. Bush II.
   
• A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation:  U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates
  This site include historical laws as well as the text of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, amendments to the Constitution, treaties with Indians and foreign nations, and presidential proclamations. It also includes links to a wide range of resources including Journals of the Continental Congress, Letters of Delegates to Congress, Elliot's Debates,  Farrand's Records,  House Journal, Senate Journal, Senate Executive Journal, Maclay's Journal, Annals of Congress,  Register of Debates, Congressional Globe,  Congressional Record,  Statutes at Large, American State Papers, Bills and Resolutions, and the U.S. Serial Set
   
• American State Papers
  The American State Papers, comprising a total of thirty-eight physical volumes, contain the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period 1789 to 1838as it relates to Military and International Affairs.
   
• Primary Sources/Political Science
  From Boston University Library this Libguide lists a host of primary documents related to the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches of U.S. Government.
   
• Internet Modern History Sourcebook
  Rich array or historical documents related to modern history with several collections pertinent to American Political History.

International Relations

• Avalon Project
  A collection of primary source documents related to law, history and diplomacy
   
• Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS): 1945-Nixon / Ford Administration
  Online books going back to 1945 digitized by State Department. Series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity from 1945-Nixon / Ford Presidencies.  While primary sources end in 1976, there are  entries discussing Foreign Policy issues up until 2000.
   
• Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS): 1861-1960
  Online books from 1861-1960 digitized by the University of Wisconsin.  The Foreign Relations of the United States series is the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions that have been declassified and edited for publication. The series is produced by the State Department's Office of the Historian.
   
• American State Papers
  The American State Papers, comprising a total of thirty-eight physical volumes, contain the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period 1789 to 1838as it relates to Military and International Affairs.

If you are a student or faculty member at Brandon University, you can access Newspaper Databases from off campus.

If you are accessing the library's web site from off campus, most links on the library's web site will first take you to the Proxy Authentication Page, where you can log in with your Brandon University username and password. Once you have logged in, you will be taken to the destination of the link. You should only have to log in once per session.

To log in, you will need your Brandon University username and password - the same username and password you use to log into the Brandon University network when you're on campus. If you have not claimed your username and password or you are having trouble logging in with those, you should contact the Brandon University Help Desk (Phone 571-8500 Monday -Friday 8:30AM to 4:30PM).

For more information, see the Off-Campus Access Page

The S.J. McKee Archives holds a wide range of historical documents related to history in the Westman area of Manitoba. 

Researchers wishing to use its collections can visit it from 1:00-4:30 P.M. Monday-Friday (with the exception of Statuatory Holidays.)