What are Primary Sources?

Primary sources are original, first-hand materials about people, places, or events created by people who were personally involved. 

Secondary sources are analyses of people, places, or events created by those who were not present. Secondary sources reference, include, or cite both primary sources and other secondary sources. 

Examples of Primary Sources include: 

• • Advertisements
  • Court records
  • Government documents
  • Interviews
  • Newspapers
  • Objects
  • Photographs
  • Press releases
  • Speeches 

Primary sources are not textbooks; they don’t necessarily represent historical facts. When reading primary sources, you should consider:

• • Audience: who is the intended audience of this primary source?
  • Purpose: what is the intended purpose of this primary source? For example, was the purpose to inform or to persuade?
  • Tone: How do the words, phrases, and ideas expressed in the primary source affect the tone?
  • Bias: What is the bias or viewpoint of this primary source? 
  • Credibility: Is this primary source credible? 
  • Omissions: Are there any important points that this primary source fails to address?
  • Context: How do events that were occurring when this primary source was created affect your understanding of it?
  • Compare and contrast: are there primary sources that present an alternative perspective from this time period?

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