Primary and Secondary Sources

Vocabulary and categorization of primary and secondary sources based on lecture materials.

Primary Sources

Original records from the past recorded by people who were involved in the event, witnessed the event, or knew the persons involved.

Artifacts

Objects (such as tools, ornaments, or other physical items) or visual evidence that give an idea about what people alive at the time saw or thought about an event.

Bias (Prejudice)

A person's specific point of view or prejudice toward an event, which is often reflected in primary sources.

Printed Publications (Primary)

Examples of original records including books, magazines, and newspapers from the time of the event.

Personal Records

Primary sources such as diaries, journals, and personal records.

Visual Materials (Primary)

Paintings, drawings, sculpture, photographs, film, and maps created by witnesses or people present during the time period.

Oral Histories

Chronicles, memoirs, myths, and legends passed down by word of mouth.

Secondary Sources

Information made at a later time by historians or others after an event has taken place.

Reliability of Secondary Sources

While they cannot reflect what people at the time felt, they can provide a more fair account by including more than one point of view or information unavailable at the time.

Examples of Secondary Sources

Textbooks, biographies, histories, and newspaper reports written by someone who was not present at the event.

Secondary Source Visuals

Charts, graphs, or images created after the time period they describe.

Autobiography

A primary source example, such as 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin' or the work by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Biography

A secondary source example, such as 'A Lifetime in the Bush' by Mark Shephard or 'Blood on the Moon' by Edward Steers Jr.