What was life like for people in the past? One way to learn more is to read or view primary sources. A primary source is firsthand information from the past. It could be a photograph, a letter, or a speech. Other things can be primary sources too. Click on a primary source below.
- Letter from John Muir to a Friend—Historical Letter
- A Housekeeper Shares Her Memories of California Mission Life—Memoir
- Mary Ballou's View of the Gold Rush—Historical Letter
- Editorial in Favor of the Transcontinental Railroad—Historical Editorial
- Recruiting Immigrants to California in the Late 1800s—Propaganda Poster
- A Chinese Immigrant's Experiences in California—Autobiography
- The Pacific Parachute Company during World War II—Historical Photograph
- Proclamation of the Delano Grape Workers—Historic Proclamation
- Katherine Siva Saubel's Views on Land and Language—Autobiography