PRIMARY SOURCES IN HISTORYTypes of primary sources

Analyzing primary sources

WHAT ARE PRIMARY SOURCES?WHY DO HISTORIANS USE THEM?

the raw materials from which histories are made

helps reconstruct the past through the content of the primary source

TYPES OF PRIMARY SOURCES

Published Documents Unpublished Documents Oral Traditions/Histories Visual Documents/Artifacts

PUBLISHED/UNPUBLISHED DOCUMENTS books, magazines, newspapers,

government documents, literature, advertisements, maps, pamphlets, posters,

Every document has a creator, and every creator has a point of view, blind spots, and biases.

personal letters, diaries, journals, wills, deeds, family Bibles containing family histories, school report cards, and many other sources.

ORAL TRADITIONS/HISTORIES

provide important historical evidence about people,

interviews and recordings of community elders and witnesses to historical events provide exciting stories, anecdotes, and other information about the past.

VISUAL DOCUMENTS/ARTIFACTS

photographs, films, paintings, and other types of artwork.

evidence of changes over time.; evidence about a culture at specific moments in history: its customs, preferences, styles, special occasions, work, and play.

has a creator with a point of view -- such as a painter, sculptor, or film maker

Think about the creator's point of view when you review visual documents.