Primary sources are first hand accounts of real events. They may describe a national crisis or the ordinary routines of daily life.
Some primary sources are created at the time an event occurs. News accounts of daily events, journal entries, ships' logs and passenger manifests, laws, treaties, birth or death certificates, letters, telegrams, even e-mails: all of these are records of events as the events are unfolding. Other primary sources are created well after an event has passed. A first hand witness to an event may tell his or her story years later. Memoirs, oral histories, and interviews are all primary sources.
Not all primary sources are written. History has been captured on film and all manner of video and audio recordings, in photographs, drawings, and in ancient art works and archeological artifacts. Primary sources give us a glimpse into history as witnessed by the people who were there. With each new generation of technology, humans create new ways to record their experiences. Future generations may look at today's blogs to see how 21st century people described their lives.
Primary sources are found in many places. Use this site to get started locating primary sources through the Stevenson University Library and beyond.
Using Primary Sources on the Web
From the American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association - History Section.
Offers excellent advice for understanding and working with primary sources, as well as links to collections to search.
From Kishlansky, Mark A. Sources of World History, Volume 1, Third Edition. New York: Longman Publishers, 2003. Used by permission of the author.
Uses a series of questions for students to ask when reading a primary document.
