Primary Sources and How to Read Them (Video Notes)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering core concepts about primary sources, their interpretation, and the historian’s approach as described in the notes.

Primary sources

Historical records produced at the time of the event or soon after; original materials historians study.

Secondary sources

Works created after the fact that interpret, organize, and discuss primary sources; not the original evidence.

Oral traditions

Remembered past transmitted by word of mouth; often the earliest or sole record for distant societies; difficult to preserve and interpret.

Prehistoric

Societies without writing; not because they lack a history but because there is no way to construct a detailed narrative due to lack of written records.

Artifacts

Tangible objects from the past that provide evidence about daily life and beliefs; used to contextualize oral traditions and study both prehistoric and literate cultures.

Written records

Documents produced in writing (government records, letters, diaries, etc.); essential primary sources that are never complete.

Jigsaw puzzle metaphor

Historical evidence is like a jigsaw with missing pieces; a coherent picture can emerge from the pieces, but some pieces are lost.

Fragmentary evidence

Surviving sources cover only a portion of past events; the historical record is incomplete.

Perspective and bias

Each source reflects its own viewpoint, purpose, and limitations; historians compare multiple sources to mitigate bias.

Inference

A logical conclusion drawn from evidence; heart of historical inquiry; turns facts into explanations.

Facts vs inferences

Facts are raw data; inferences are the conclusions drawn from them; both are essential to history.

Examples of primary sources (campus)

School catalogs, class lists, transcripts, yearbooks, diaries, letters, campus newspaper, posters, photographs, recordings, and similar items.

Creative advertising in admissions materials

Catalogs and admissions brochures present idealized campus life; reflect the values of faculty and administration; useful evidence when analyzed critically.

Silent or near-silent groups

Groups with little surviving evidence; historians seek to uncover their voices within the record.

Historian’s task

To analyze all relevant evidence, reconstruct the past, and ask about values, change, and impact.

Ultimate goal of historians

To explain motives, causes, and consequences using primary sources.

Columbus example

Shows that dates and names alone aren’t enough; understanding motives, causes, significance, and consequences requires primary sources.