National Archives

The National Archives site has numerous documents (mostly letters) that came from people who were directly affected by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. These letters are actual publications which can be read and interpreted by students, rather than reading someone else's summary and interpretation. Students will be able to chronologically follow some of the events and people's reports from these letters. I believe it will make them feel more directly connected to the event by reading the facsimile documents.

The website's actual description: The documents selected for this exhibit are primary sources that historians and other researchers study when they write about historical events. They are a selection from the files created or received by Federal agencies in or near San Francisco at the time of the disaster. They contain eyewitness testimony of the damage of the earthquake, the ensuing fires, and the desolation that was left in their wake.

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire