Primary & Secondary Sources

Primary Sources

1. First-hand evidence or eyewitness account of an event.

2. Tells about the event without adding any interpretation from a later time.

3. Reflects the individual viewpoint or a one-sided point of view of the participant/recorder.

4. Reflects the attitudes of the time period in which it was written or produced.

Secondary Sources

1. Second-hand account of an event, circumstance made after the time period being recorded.

2. Interprets, analyzes or explains a historical event and the evidence of that event.

3. Usually attempts to be objective and balanced.

4. Could convey the attitudes of the time periods in which it was written or produced.

Where do I find primary sources?

• Different media – Diary of a new immigrant.

Letters from a soldier at war.

Drawings or photographs.

Maps

Advertisements in newspapers and magazines.

Political speeches.

**You don’t have to touch the original but primary sources will give clues about a particular time period and help you understand the past**

Are some primary sources “better” than others?

YES!

Keep in mind the “time and space” rule.

The closer to the actual event, the more reliable the content.

The more time that passes, the greater the chance that events might not be recalled

correctly.

Key Questions

• What type of source is this?• What is the background of the person who

created the source?• Why did the person create the document?• What is the historical content (time, place,

situation).• What is the main idea?• Is there bias or a one-sided point of view?• What evidence does this source contribute to my

research?

Imagine that you have accidentally wandered into a closet of your school. It is dark. You begin to search for the light and slip on something. After investigating, you realize that you have slipped on a large

envelope. Written on the envelope are the words "Pieces of the Past."  You open it

and inside you find four pieces of primary source materials; a photograph, a map, a

letter, and an newspaper. 

You quickly gather basic information about the materials. The letter was written by Theodore Roosevelt. The

photograph documents a 19th century profession. The map was made in

1562. The newspaper was printed in 1941. You guess that these materials are not related to each other, but you are curious about each one. There is no other information in the box so you

look to the resources for clues. 

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt Sr. to Theodore Roosevelt Jr.

• What is the letter about? • How can you identify the sender and recipient? • How can you identify when the letter was written? • Where was the sender when he wrote the letter?  How do you

know? • What can you guess about the relationship between father and son? • Can you make a guess about the son's age? • What might the son have been doing when he received this letter.

For example, do you think he was outside building a snowman?  What evidence do you see to support your ideas?

• What additional information would you need about Theodore Roosevelt and his family to support the evidence in the letter?  Where might you find this type of information?  What types of resources would you look for? 

Milliner’s Daughter• What do you see in the photograph? • This photo documents a popular 19th century profession.  What

evidence of this profession can be found in the image? • Who are the people in the image?  Are there any clues to their

relationship in the photograph? • Where does this scene take place?  What do you see to support

your idea? • Did they know the picture was being taken? • Is there any evidence of when this picture was taken?  Look closely

at the details. Which objects give you clues to the time period?  How do you know this is not a contemporary photograph?  If it were, what else might be in it?

• What additional questions do you have about this photograph, the time period, or people?  What additional resources can you look for to answer these questions?

16th Century Map of the Americas

• What do you see? • Can you identify when or where this map was created? • What information is the mapmaker providing? • Gutierrez has given information about geographical features.  What features are

identified on the map? • The mapmaker has provided information about settlements of people.  How are these

identified? • Gutierrez has placed a number of animals on the map.  What do you think these

represent? • What continents does Gutierrez seem to have the most knowledge of?  What do you

see on the map that supports your idea? • Do you think that the mapmaker has personally visited all of the places on the map? 

Do you see any evidence to support your idea? • Would you want to use this map to help you find your way?  Why or why not? • Was there anything about this map that made it difficult to interpret?  How did you

compensate for the difficulty? • How is this map the same or different than contemporary maps? • What additional information would you like to know about this primary source? 

Newspaper Articles

•What is the newspaper about?•Can you identify where this newspaper was written?•What information can you find out from reading the front page?•What phrases and words catch your attention?•What was the author’s purpose in writing this article?•What important historical information does this source provide?