This document is a transcription of diary entries from Charles H. Peterson from April 16-17, 1865. On April 16, Peterson receives news of President Lincoln's death but has no details. Everything seems sad and sorrowful over the death of the President. On April 17, the newspaper confirms Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre while watching a play. The assassin is believed to be actor John Wilkes Booth, who also attempted to kill Secretary of State Seward but he survived at last report. Flags continue to be flown at half-mast over the death of the President.

2. Pocket Diary Transcription
of Charles H. Peterson
Sunday, April 16, 1865 Monday, April 17, 1865
Clear all day, and / very pleasant. Clear all day.
This morning / we received the Today's paper confirms / the
sad / news of President / Lincoln's Death of our President. / He was
death. No / particulars. the flags assassinated / while at Ford's Theatre
are all half masted. / seeing the "American / Cousin
I sent two letters / one to Leogun (?) played" on Friday / evening. The
and / one to Hollnes. assassin is / supposed to be Wilkes /
We did n't get any / papers, nor mail Booth (the Actor).
today. He also made an / attempt on
Every thing appears / to be sad and Secretary / Seward's life but / at last
sorrowful / over the Death of our account he / was still alive.
President. / It certainly / is a great Received two letters / one from
shock to the / Country, about this Clarke, and / one from Leem (?).
time. Cannon's firing all / day.

3. Primary Sources
How to locate and use them effectively
Nicole Ramirez, Fall 2012

4. What are Primary Sources?
● Diary entry
● Scrapbook
● Newspaper Article
● Newspaper Sketch
● Leave Pass
● Letters / Cards
What are Primary Sources?

5. What are Primary Sources?

6. Are these Primary Sources?

7. Are these Primary Sources?

8. What are Primary Sources?
Definition
● A primary source is any item, such as an original photograph or a diary
entry, that provides a first-hand account of an experience, event, or
historical period from the perspective of the creator or the people that were
present

9. Locating Primary Sources
(Activity)
Task: Locate Primary Sources for the following research topic:
● Prohibition in the 1920s and medical marijuana today
1. Begin your search.
Within your research groups, discuss -
Where would you start your search? What would you search for?
2. Revise your search.
Within your research groups, discuss -
How do you refine, clarify, or modify your search? (Particularly if you are
unsuccessful or unhappy with your initial results.)

10. Locating Primary Sources
(Activity)
1.
2.
3. If you continue to experience difficulty conducting your search, what are
your next steps?
- Give up. (Just kidding! Of course not.)
- Consult your teacher.
- Ask a librarian.

11. Where do
primary sources
'live'?
Locating Primary Sources

12. Physical Repositories
Photo
courtesy
of LAPL
Photo
courtesy of
CSUN,
Daily
Sundail
University Archives & Special
Public Libraries
Collections
Photo
courtesy
of LAPL
Photo
courtesy
of CSUN,
Daily
Sundail

13. Physical Repositories
Photo courtesy of ONE Courtesy of BookPatrol.net
Archives / Repositories Museums
Photo courtesy of Mayme A. Clayton LIbrary and
Photo courtesy of ONE
Museum

14. Digitized Collections
http://www.loc.gov/ http://www.archives.gov/
http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/ http://www.oac.cdlib.org/
http://www.nps.gov/history/ http://www.historyexplorer.si.edu/
(Discover History tab)
Proquest Historical Newspapers
Not an exhaustive list

15. Locating Primary Sources
Strategies:
● Identity key terms, figures, and dates
Topic: Prohibition in the 1920s and medical marijuana today
Terms
18th Amendment Volestead Act Cullen-Harrison Act
Figures
Carrie Nation Anti-Saloon League George Cassiday
Dates
January 17, 1920 December 5, 1933

16. Locating Primary Sources
● Establish place
- proximity to location occurrence
- donations to the university attended

17. Locating Primary Sources
● Use academic language
puppy doggie Zoe
dog canine Beagle
Canis lupus familiaris
primary sources
archives repositories
special collections
ephemera artifacts

18. Locating Primary Sources
● Search broadly to start
● Narrow down your search using criteria
Topic: Prohibition in the 1920s and medical marijuana today
Broad
Prohibition in the 1920s
Prohibition Regulations
18th Amendment Volestead Act Cullen-Harrison Act
Narrow

19. Locating Primary Sources
● Rhetoric (at the time vs. current usage)
e.g. World War I --> "The Great War"
● Identify perspective (bias)
The Civil War (American) --> "War of Northern Aggression" or "The War
Between the States"

20. Locating Primary Sources
● Citation Searching
of Secondary Sources

21. Effective Inclusion of
Primary Sources
● Provide illustrative examples
- Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean

22. Effective Inclusion of
Primary Sources
● Present multiple perspectives
“.... a rebel colonel visited the “ ... every man turned from him
hospital, and requested the with contempt, saying “never
privilege of talking to all the would they join the Confederate
Irishmen who were there ... as he army: they would rather starve in
had something special to say to prison, and die and decay,” and
them... he introduced himself ... he said he ought not to call himself
had received orders ... to recruit an Irishman, and think that other
his regiment with Irish prisoners. Irishmen had no more principle
He had been to ... other prisons ... than himself; and, if they caught
and some had joined him ... him within Union lines, would
Scarcely had he finished have the Lynch law enforced for
speaking, when every man ... his benefit: therefore he went
away without any recruits.”
Excerpts a from POW account

23. Effective Inclusion of
Primary Sources
● Analyze sources independently & put forth your own original ideas

24. How do you evaluate bias
and validity of a primary
source?
Contextualizing Sources

25. Contextualizing Sources
● Mulitple perspectives
● Voices present, voices absent
● Validity
● How do you know what is a good source (valid vs. forgery)
● verifying the information you're finding is for the actual person you are
seeking information regarding
From Duke:
Before you use the evidence you find there, ask yourself these important
questions. What are the documents you’ve found: letters, pamphlets, pictures,
advertisements, handbooks, newspaper articles? Who authored them, for what
intended audience, and with what motives? Can you trust it, and how would you
verify its claims?
http://www.duke.edu/~ekb6/Developing%20Effective%20Research%20Strategies.pdf