Primary Source Portals
If you're not sure where to begin, start by searching the primary source portals below. These search across many collections and can lead you to the right primary source database for your topic.
- History Vault This link opens in a new windowContains important collections that chronicle the fight for voting rights including the NAACP Papers and the SCLC Papers.
- Archive Explorer (Adam Matthew) This link opens in a new windowCross searches thematic collections relevant to voting rights such as the database African American Communities, and Race Relations in America.
- Gale Primary Sources This link opens in a new windowSearch a large number of primary source databases.
- Digital Public Library of AmericaPortal for searching across openly available archives and special collections materials digitized by libraries.
Deep Dive: History Vault
The history vault contains collections of documents that trace key moments in the fight for voting rights. To get to these follow this path: History Vault >> Timeline and select Civil Rights Movement, Civil Rights Legislation, Black Power, etc. Here are some collections that relate to voting rights.
For a case study on how to use History Vault see this tutorial from Proquest.
- NAACP PapersIncludes The NAACP's Major Campaigns—including voting.
Deep Dive: ACLU Papers
You can visually explore the ACLU papers, with searches such as this one for voting, by following this path American Civil Liberties Archive >> Start the Topic Finder >> Wheel.
