Pick by what your class needs. “For class” in Filters finds sources with teacher notes, page images of the original, an older translation or a Spanish version. Each source has a History tab on who made it and how far to trust it, and a worksheet.
History
Literature
Karlsefni and Gudrid in Vinland
Saga of the Greenlanders, events of about 1000–1010; written down in the 1300s; copied in 1387, Vinland. Early Americas
Early versionModerate6 min
Voyages and sea travelMyths, sagas and epicsColonies and settlements
Literature
Trade and Battle at Hóp
Saga of Erik the Red, events of about 1005–1010; written in the later 1200s; the oldest copy about 1310, Hóp, in Vinland. Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
First contact in the AmericasMyths, sagas and epicsTrade, markets and money
Letter
News of the First Voyage
Columbus, dated February 15, 1493, At sea, off the Azores. Early Americas
CheckedModerate1 min
First contact in the AmericasVoyages and sea travelCaribbean and Isthmus
Letter
The Second Voyage Reaches the Islands of the Caribs
Chanca, written on Hispaniola, probably early 1494, Guadeloupe (the Spaniards’ Guadalupe; Karukera). Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
First contact in the AmericasCaribbean and IsthmusSlavery and forced labor
Treatise
A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (Opening)
Las Casas, written 1542, printed 1552, Hispaniola (La Española). Early Americas
CheckedModerate5 min
Conquest and resistance in the AmericasSlavery and forced laborCaribbean and Isthmus
Report
The Images in the Field
Pané, written about 1496–1498 (events of about 1495–1497); printed in Italian, 1571, Hispaniola (La Española). Early Americas
Early versionModerate6 min
Indigenous American beliefsChristianityCaribbean and Isthmus
Letter
The First Meeting at Porto Seguro, 1500
Caminha, written April 26 to May 1, 1500, Porto Seguro. Early Americas
CheckedModerate6 min
First contact in the AmericasAmazon and OrinocoTrade, markets and money
History
The Gilded Chief of Lake Guatavita
Rodríguez Freyle, written in 1636, Lake Guatavita. Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Caribbean and IsthmusIndigenous American beliefsRulers and courts
Natural history
Maize and Cassava Bread
Oviedo, printed 1526, Hispaniola (La Española). Early Americas
CheckedModerate5 min
Food, farming and hungerCooking and recipesPlants and animals
Letter
The Great Market of Tenochtitlan
Cortés, dated October 30, 1520; printed at Seville, 1522, Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Early Americas
CheckedModerate4 min
Conquest and resistance in the AmericasMesoamericaTrade, markets and money
History
The Mexica Embassy and the Smallpox in Michoacán
Relación de Michoacán, compiled about 1539–1541, Tzintzuntzan. Early Americas
Early versionChallenging5 min
MesoamericaRulers and courtsConquest and resistance in the Americas
History
The Smallpox in Mexico, 1520
Sahagún, compiled from the 1550s to the 1570s, Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Early Americas
Early versionModerate2 min
Epidemics in the Americas after 1492SmallpoxFirst contact in the Americas
Annals
The Pestilence at Iximche
Xahil family annals, events of the early 1520s (Brinton dates the king’s death to 1521); written down later in the sixteenth century, Iximche. Early Americas
Early versionModerate2 min
Epidemics in the Americas after 1492Death and burialFamily and loss
Narrative
Naked and Starving on the Gulf Coast
Cabeza de Vaca, printed 1542, Malhado (“Isle of Misfortune”). Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Voyages and sea travelFirst contact in the AmericasFood, farming and hunger
History
Inca Storehouses and the Palaces of Tumebamba
Cieza de León, printed at Seville, 1553, Tumebamba. Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
AndesFood, farming and hungerRulers and courts
Travel account
Winter at Stadacona and the Cedar Cure
Cartier, events of December 1535 to April 1536; printed 1545, Stadacona, and the French fort on the Sainte-Croix River. Early Americas
CheckedModerate6 min
First contact in the AmericasNortheast WoodlandsDoctors and medical ideas
History
The Lady of Cofitachequi, 1540
Gentleman of Elvas, printed 1557, Cofitachequi (Cutifachiqui). Early Americas
Early versionModerate6 min
Southeast and MississippianConquest and resistance in the AmericasFood, farming and hunger
History
The Bison Plains and the People Who Follow the Herds
Castañeda, written in the 1560s, more than twenty years after the events; surviving copy dated 1596, The Llano Estacado and the southern plains. Early Americas
CheckedModerate4 min
Southern Plains and prairie farmersSouthwest and PueblosFirst contact in the Americas
Description
Maize, Markets and Books in Yucatán
Landa, written in the mid-1560s, Yucatán. Early Americas
CheckedModerate3 min
MesoamericaWriting and scriptsFood, farming and hunger
Poem
The Unconquered People of Arauco
Ercilla, printed 1569, Arauco. Early Americas
Early versionChallenging4 min
Southern ConePoetryConquest and resistance in the Americas
Literature
The People Made of Maize
Popol Vuh, a creation story; written down in Latin letters probably in the 1500s; the surviving copy made about 1700–1715, K’iche’ kingdom, highland Guatemala. Early Americas
Early versionChallenging6 min
MesoamericaMyths, sagas and epicsIndigenous American beliefs
Memoir
Brought to Ubatuba as a Captive, 1554
Staden, printed 1557, Uwattibi (Ubatuba). Early Americas
Early versionModerate6 min
Amazon and OrinocoConquest and resistance in the AmericasHomes, towns and building
Travel account
Making Manioc Flour in a Tupinambá Village
Léry, printed 1578, revised 1580, Guanabara Bay. Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Amazon and OrinocoCooking and recipesFood, farming and hunger
Travel account
Bloody Point and the Two Captives
Best, events of August 1–6, 1577; printed 1578, Frobisher's "strait" (Frobisher Bay), Meta Incognita. Early Americas
CheckedChallenging5 min
Arctic coastsFirst contact in the AmericasVoyages and sea travel
Report
The Sickness That Followed the English
Harriot, events of 1585–1586; first printed London, dated February 1588 (February 1589 in our calendar); reprinted Frankfurt 1590, Roanoke Island and the towns around it. Early Americas
CheckedChallenging5 min
Northeast WoodlandsColonies and settlementsEpidemics in the Americas after 1492
Travel account
Into the Orinoco Delta
Raleigh, events of May 1595; printed London 1596, The mouths of the Orinoco. Early Americas
Early versionChallenging5 min
Amazon and OrinocoVoyages and sea travelTrade, markets and money
Treatise
How the Angola Trade Fed Cartagena
Sandoval, first printed 1627; this text from the second edition, 1647, Cartagena de Indias. Early Americas
Early versionChallenging3 min
Slavery and forced laborTrade, markets and moneyTranslation and interpreters
Travel account
Champlain Fights beside the Algonquin and Wendat
Champlain, events of late July 1609; printed 1613, The western shore of Lake Champlain, near Ticonderoga. Early Americas
CheckedModerate6 min
Northeast WoodlandsConquest and resistance in the AmericasColonies and settlements
Travel account
The Mi'kmaq and the French, and the Sickness among Them
Biard, printed 1616, Port-Royal, Acadia. Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Northeast WoodlandsEpidemics in the Americas after 1492Food, farming and hunger
History
The First Winter and Squanto's Corn
Bradford, events of the winter and spring of 1620–1621; written about 1630–1650, New Plymouth (Patuxet). Early Americas
CheckedModerate5 min
Northeast WoodlandsColonies and settlementsTranslation and interpreters
Dictionary
Corn, Land, and the Women's Fields
Williams, printed London 1643, from Williams's years among the Narragansett from the early 1630s, Narragansett country. Early Americas
CheckedModerate4 min
Northeast WoodlandsDictionaries and grammarsTranslation and interpreters
Travel account
The Wendat Feast of the Dead
Brébeuf, events of spring 1636 (the Monday after Pentecost); written 1636, printed 1637, Ossossané, in Wendake (the Huron country). Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Northeast WoodlandsIndigenous American beliefsDeath and burial
Report
Food from the Great River, 1639
Acuña, printed 1641, The Amazon River. Early Americas
Early versionModerate6 min
Amazon and OrinocoFood, farming and hungerHomes, towns and building
Travel account
A Winter of Famine by Lake Superior
Radisson, events of the winter of 1659–1660; written about 1668–1669, The country southwest of Lake Superior. Early Americas
Early versionChallenging5 min
Northeast WoodlandsFood, farming and hungerTrade, markets and money
History
The Death of the Tattooed Serpent
Le Page du Pratz, printed 1758, The Natchez villages, near Fort Rosalie. Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Southeast and MississippianRulers and courtsIndigenous American beliefs
Journal
A Visit to the Great Camp on the Plains
Henday, October 13–16, 1754, The great Archithinue camp. Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Northern PlainsFirst contact in the AmericasTrade, markets and money
Memoir
Peace in the Town-House at Chota
Timberlake, events of December 1761; printed at London, 1765, Chote (Chota), Overhill Cherokee towns. Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Southeast and MississippianHomes, towns and buildingConquest and resistance in the Americas
Travel account
Trading with the Tlingit at Lituya Bay
La Pérouse, written 1786, printed 1797, Port des Français (Lituya Bay). Early Americas
Early versionModerate5 min
Northwest CoastFirst contact in the AmericasTrade, markets and money
Poster
We'll Get Them!
Abel Faivre, 1916, Paris. Great War Propaganda
CheckedAccessibleAn image
First World War (1914–1918)Propaganda and persuasionTrade, markets and money
Poster
Help Us Win!
Fritz Erler, 1917, Munich. Great War Propaganda
CheckedAccessibleAn image
First World War (1914–1918)Propaganda and persuasionTrade, markets and money
Poster
I Want You for U.S. Army
James Montgomery Flagg, 1917, New York. Great War Propaganda
CheckedAccessibleAn image
First World War (1914–1918)Propaganda and persuasion
Treatise
How the Romans fixed the year
Censorinus, 238 CE, Rome. Keeping Time
CheckedModerate10 min
Calendars and keeping timeWords and namesGreek and Roman gods
Dialogue
Where the months got their names
Macrobius, early fifth century CE; the dialogue is set in the 380s, Rome. Keeping Time
CheckedModerate15 min
Calendars and keeping timeWords and namesGreek and Roman gods
Manual
What to do on the farm each month
Tusser, 1580 edition; first printed, as a hundred points, in 1557, Cattiwade, Suffolk. Keeping Time
CheckedModerate3 min
Food, farming and hungerCalendars and keeping timePoetry
Diary
A diary for every day of the year
Pepys, January 1660 to June 1669, written day by day, London. Keeping Time
CheckedModerate11 min
Calendars and keeping timeFood, farming and hungerWork and wages
Poem
A bad night at the inn on the road to Brundisium
Horace, journey probably in the spring of 37 BCE; written soon after, The road from Rome to Brundisium. Checking In
Early versionModerate3 min
Inns, hotels and restaurantsTravel by road, rail and airPoetry
Rule
Receive every guest as Christ
Benedict, written about 530–547, Monte Cassino. Checking In
Early versionAccessible3 min
Inns, hotels and restaurantsChristianity
Travel account
The Great Khan's post houses
Marco Polo, dictated in 1298; about what Polo saw in China between about 1275 and 1291, Canbalu (Khanbaliq). Checking In
CheckedModerate6 min
Inns, hotels and restaurantsTravel by road, rail and airRulers and courts
Travel account
Taking the waters at Bath
Fiennes, an undated visit before 1702, perhaps on one of her early journeys; written up about 1702; first printed 1888, Bath. Checking In
Early versionModerate7 min
Tourism, resorts and cruisesDoctors and medical ideasHomes, towns and building
Essay
On restaurants, Paris, 1825
Brillat-Savarin, published December 1825, Paris. Checking In
CheckedModerate7 min
Inns, hotels and restaurantsCooking and recipesFood, farming and hunger
Description
The Rooms of the Tremont House
Eliot, 1830, on the hotel opened in October 1829, Boston. Checking In
CheckedModerate3 min
Inns, hotels and restaurantsHomes, towns and building
Travel account
A free ticket on an early pleasure cruise
Thackeray, voyage of 1844; preface and book published 1846, Off Cape Finisterre and Vigo Bay. Checking In
CheckedModerate7 min
Tourism, resorts and cruisesVoyages and sea travel
Literature
Opening day of the great sale
Zola, published 1883, Paris. Checking In
CheckedModerate5 min
Stores, catalogues and shoppingStories and novelsTrade, markets and money
Travel account
The Program of the Grand Pleasure Excursion
Twain, programme dated February 1, 1867; book published 1869, New York. Checking In
Early versionModerate6 min
Tourism, resorts and cruisesVoyages and sea travelTrade, markets and money
History of science and medicine
History
The Plague at Athens, and Pericles Answers the Athenians
Thucydides, after 430 BCE, Athens. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate18 min
Plague of Athens (430–426 BCE)Doctors and medical ideasSpeeches and edicts
Memoir
The Plague at My Country House, and a Life for a Life
Aelius Aristides, early 170s CE, Smyrna (modern İzmir) and Aristides' country house outside the city. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate7 min
Antonine Plague (from 165)Doctors and medical ideasGreek and Roman gods
Medical
Preface to the Treatise on Cold Damage
Zhang Zhongjing, c. 200–206, Han China. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate5 min
Epidemics of the late Han (c. 196–217)Doctors and medical ideasFamily and loss
Essay
Discourse on Epidemic Qi, and a Brother's Letter
Cao Zhi, 217 or soon after, Han China. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedAccessible2 min
Epidemics of the late Han (c. 196–217)Doctors and medical ideasRich and poor
Sermon
The Plague as a Test: A Bishop's Sermon at Carthage
Cyprian, c. 252–253, Carthage, Roman North Africa (modern Tunisia). Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate11 min
Plague of Cyprian (c. 249–270)Christianity
History
The Plague at Constantinople
Procopius, c. 550, Constantinople (Byzantium). Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate14 min
Plague of Justinian (from 541)PlagueDoctors and medical ideas
Annals
The Great Epidemic of 735–737
Shoku Nihongi, 735–737 (entries); compiled by 797, Heijō-kyō (Nara), Japan. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate8 min
Japanese smallpox epidemic (735–737)SmallpoxBuddhism
Government order
How to Care for the Sick in the Epidemic of 737
Council of State, 737, Heijō-kyō (Nara), Japan. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate4 min
Japanese smallpox epidemic (735–737)SmallpoxDoctors and medical ideas
Chronicle
After the Mortality: Florence, 1348
Matteo Villani, begun soon after 1348, Florence. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate10 min
Black Death (1347–1351)PlagueDoctors and medical ideas
Essay
The Plague Goes Town by Town
Ibn al-Wardi, 1348 (the essay); the chronicle entries 1346–1349, Aleppo. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionChallenging7 min
Black Death (1347–1351)PlagueDeath and burial
Chronicle
The Plague Comes to Messina and Catania
Anonymous of Catania, after April 1348, Messina and Catania, Sicily. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate13 min
Black Death (1347–1351)PlagueChristianity
Chronicle
The Plague in the Bishop of Rochester’s Household
William Dene, soon after the events of 1348–1349, Rochester, Kent, England. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate4 min
Black Death (1347–1351)ChristianityWork and wages
Chronicle
The Great Mortality in Paris, 1348–1349
Jean de Venette, about 1360, Paris. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate7 min
Black Death (1347–1351)ChristianityDeath and burial
Chronicle
I Buried My Five Children with My Own Hands
Agnolo di Tura, 1348 or soon after, Siena. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionAccessible2 min
Black Death (1347–1351)Death and burialFamily and loss
Letter
O Happy People of the Future
Petrarch, 1349, Parma. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionChallenging3 min
Black Death (1347–1351)ChristianityDeath and burial
Poem
To Himself, in the Plague Year
Petrarch, 1348, Italy. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionChallenging2 min
Black Death (1347–1351)ChristianityDeath and burial
Note
Laura, in the Margins of His Virgil
Petrarch, 1348 or soon after, Parma. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate2 min
Black Death (1347–1351)ChristianityDeath and burial
Literature
The Pestilence Comes to Florence, 1348
Boccaccio, about 1349–1353, Florence. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionChallenging14 min
Black Death (1347–1351)PlagueDeath and burial
Memoir
Muslims, Jews, and Christians Pray Together
Ibn Battuta, 1348–1349, Damascus. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionAccessible5 min
Black Death (1347–1351)PlagueDeath and burial
History
As If the Whole World Had Changed
Ibn Khaldun, 1377, revised later, Tunis. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionChallenging5 min
Black Death (1347–1351)PlagueDoctors and medical ideas
Medical
The Origin of Epidemics
Wu Youxing, 1642, Suzhou. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionChallenging8 min
EpidemicsDoctors and medical ideas
Diary
A London Diary of the Plague Year, 1665
Samuel Pepys, June 7–December 31, 1665, London. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate8 min
Great Plague of London (1665–1666)PlagueDeath and burial
Letter
Engrafting against Smallpox
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, April 1, 1717 (Old Style); published 1763, Adrianople. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate5 min
SmallpoxInoculation and vaccinationPlague
Pamphlet
What the Africans of Boston Knew about Inoculation
Cotton Mather and Zabdiel Boylston, 1721, Boston. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate4 min
SmallpoxInoculation and vaccinationDoctors and medical ideas
Sermon
A Sermon against Inoculation
Edmund Massey, preached July 8, 1722, London. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedChallenging6 min
SmallpoxInoculation and vaccinationChristianity
Medical
Planting Smallpox
Wu Qian, 1742, Beijing. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedChallenging8 min
SmallpoxInoculation and vaccinationDoctors and medical ideas
Medical
The Yellow Fever in Philadelphia, 1793
Benjamin Rush, 1794, Philadelphia. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate7 min
Philadelphia yellow fever (1793)Yellow feverDoctors and medical ideas
Memoir
Remembering the Yellow Fever of 1793
Samuel Breck, written 1830 or later (events of 1793); published 1877, Philadelphia. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionAccessible5 min
Philadelphia yellow fever (1793)Yellow feverDeath and burial
History
Philadelphia in Terror, 1793
Mathew Carey, November 1793, during the last weeks of the epidemic, Philadelphia. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate7 min
Philadelphia yellow fever (1793)Yellow feverRich and poor
Pamphlet
We Have Seen More Humanity: An Answer to Carey
Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, January 1794, Philadelphia. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate7 min
Philadelphia yellow fever (1793)Yellow feverRelief and public measures
Medical
Instructions for Vaccine Inoculation
Edward Jenner, about 1799–1801, London. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate4 min
SmallpoxInoculation and vaccinationDoctors and medical ideas
Letter
An Island Surrounded by Quarantines
Pushkin, October–November 1830, Boldino. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate4 min
Cholera pandemic (1830s)CholeraFamily and loss
Medical
The Pump in Broad Street, 1854
John Snow, 1855, London. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedModerate8 min
CholeraDoctors and medical ideas
Government report
The Plague Act and the House Searches, Bombay 1897
Government of India (R. Nathan, compiler), 1898, Bombay. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionChallenging10 min
PlagueRulers and courtsDoctors and medical ideas
Letter
Why Single Out One? A Scientist on Typhoid Mary
W. P. Mason, July 1909, North Brother Island, New York. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate2 min
Doctors and medical ideasRulers and courts
Memoir
Camp Devens, 1918
Victor C. Vaughan, published 1926, Camp Devens. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionAccessible4 min
Influenza pandemic (1918–1920)InfluenzaDoctors and medical ideas
Pamphlet
The Government Explains the Flu, 1918
U.S. Public Health Service, September 28, 1918, Washington. Once in a Lifetime
CheckedAccessible8 min
Influenza pandemic (1918–1920)InfluenzaRulers and courts
Medical
A Wrong Cure for the Spanish Influenza
Louis Dechmann, 1 February 1919, Seattle. Once in a Lifetime
Early versionModerate5 min
Influenza pandemic (1918–1920)InfluenzaDoctors and medical ideas
Literature
The Dream: a journey to the Moon
Johannes Kepler, Written in Prague about 1609; notes added 1620–30; published 1634, Frankfurt. Reaching Space
CheckedModerate16 min
Imagining space travelAstronomy and the skyStories and novels
Literature
Signals from the Brick Moon
Edward Everett Hale, December 1869, Boston. Reaching Space
CheckedModerate10 min
Imagining space travelSpace stationsStories and novels
Literature
Greenhouses in Orbit
Tsiolkovsky, Written January–April 1917; printed in part in Priroda i liudi, 1918, and in full at Kaluga, 1920, Kaluga. Reaching Space
CheckedModerate13 min
Imagining space travelSpace stationsStories and novels
Statement
Signing the National Aeronautics and Space Act
Dwight D. Eisenhower, July 29, 1958, Washington. Reaching Space
CheckedModerate2 min
The space race (1957–1969)Speeches and edicts
Speech
We choose to go to the Moon
John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962, Houston. Reaching Space
CheckedModerate4 min
The space race (1957–1969)Speeches and edicts
Language and literature
Annals
A year in a sentence: entries from the Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, entries for 802–1154; the Peterborough copy written about 1121–1155, Peterborough. The Story of English
CheckedModerate10 min
How languages changeFood, farming and hungerWords and names
Travel account
A voyage to the north: Ohthere and Wulfstan tell King Alfred
Ohthere and Wulfstan, later ninth century, in King Alfred’s reign, Wessex (King Alfred’s court). The Story of English
CheckedModerate6 min
Voyages and sea travelHow languages changeFood, farming and hunger
Recipes
Recipes from the king's kitchen
Richard II's cooks, about 1390, as Pegge dated the roll, London. The Story of English
CheckedModerate7 min
Cooking and recipesFood, farming and hungerHow languages change
Literature
Sayings on learning, friends and family
Confucius, about 400 BCE, State of Lu. Kitchen, Farm and Fable
CheckedModerate11 min
Philosophy and right livingSchools and teachingFamily and loss
Dialogue
A young wife learns to run the house
Xenophon, about 360 BCE; the exact year is not known, Athens. Kitchen, Farm and Fable
CheckedModerate10 min
Family and lossHomes, towns and buildingPhilosophy and right living
Manual
How to run a farm
Cato, mid-second century BCE, late in Cato’s life, Rome. Kitchen, Farm and Fable
CheckedModerate9 min
Food, farming and hungerCooking and recipesSlavery and forced labor
Recipes
Roman recipes
Apicius, Compiled about 300–500 from older recipes; the surviving manuscripts were copied in the 800s, The Roman Empire. Kitchen, Farm and Fable
CheckedAccessible5 min
Cooking and recipesFood, farming and hunger
Literature
Stories from Tolstoy's Reading Primer
Tolstoy, Written 1871–72; published November 1872, Yasnaya Polyana. Living Scripts
CheckedAccessible4 min
Schools and teachingFables and proverbsWriting and scripts
Early Americas
Great War Propaganda
Keeping Time
Checking In
Once in a Lifetime
Reaching Space
The Story of English
Kitchen, Farm and Fable
Living Scripts
No sources match all of these filters.