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Historians Use Primary and Secondary Sources

with Sage

Sage sits cross-legged on a wooden floor inside a cozy archive room, surrounded by open wooden drawers, old photographs pinned to a corkboard, handwritten letters in glass cases, and a stack of colorful history books, carefully comparing a crinkled diary page with a modern illustrated textbook.

Identify whether a source is primary or secondary by asking when it was created
Explain why primary sources are valuable because they come directly from the time being studied
Explain why secondary sources are useful because they organize and explain many pieces of evidence
Compare a primary source and a secondary source about the same historical event
Explain that historians use both types of sources to build a full picture of the past

Key terms

Source: A clue that tells us about the past.
Primary source: Made by someone who was there then.
Secondary source: Made later by someone who studied it.
Historian: A person who studies the past.

Clues From the Past

Historians study the past by looking at clues called sources. A primary source is made during the time being studied by the people who lived it. A letter from a soldier, an old photograph, or a diary from long ago are all primary sources. They are like time capsules straight from the past. Primary sources let us hear real voices from the people who were really there.

Looking Back Later

A secondary source is made later by someone who was not there but studied what happened. A history textbook, a documentary film, or a new biography about Abraham Lincoln are secondary sources. The author read many primary sources first, then wrote about them. Secondary sources help us understand all the clues and see the bigger picture. Historians use both kinds of sources together.

Worked examples

Is an old diary a primary source?

Ask when it was made.
It was made during the time studied.
The writer was there then.

Answer: Yes, an old diary is a primary source.

Is a new textbook primary or secondary?

Ask if the author was there long ago.
The author was not alive back then.
They studied the past and wrote later.

Answer: A new textbook is a secondary source.

Hey there, history explorer! I am Sage, and today we are going to think like real historians. When historians study the past, they use two big kinds of clues called sources. A PRIMARY SOURCE is something made during the time being studied — by the very people who lived it. Imagine a soldier in the Civil War writing a letter home to his family. That letter IS a primary source. A photograph taken in the 1800s, a diary written by a child during World War II, a pottery bowl made by an ancient civilization — all primary sources. They are like time capsules straight from the past. A SECONDARY SOURCE is something made LATER by someone who was NOT there, but who studied what happened. A history textbook your teacher uses, a documentary film (a nonfiction movie) made today about ancient Egypt, or a biography (a book about a real person's life) of Abraham Lincoln written last year — those are secondary sources. The author read primary sources and other evidence first, then wrote about it. Both kinds matter! Primary sources give us raw, real voices from the past. Secondary sources help us make sense of all those clues and see the bigger picture. Here is a hint: always ask TWO questions — When was this made? Was the creator actually there at the time? If YES to both, it is probably primary. If it was made later by someone looking back, it is secondary.

Activity

Sort each item into the PRIMARY or SECONDARY source box — ask yourself when it was made and who made it

Practice

Name one example of a primary source you could find.

Tell why historians use secondary sources too.

Common mistakes to avoid

Old and hard to read means secondary.A source is primary if the maker was there at the time.
Secondary sources are not real evidence.Secondary sources matter because they explain many primary sources.

Check your understanding

A student finds a letter written by a girl who lived through the Great Fire of London in 1666. What kind of source is this?

Which of the following is the BEST example of a secondary source about the American Revolution?

Your classmate says, 'Secondary sources are less important than primary sources because they are not real evidence.' Is your classmate correct?

Recap

Today we learned a primary source is made by someone who was there at the time, like a diary or photo. A secondary source is made later by someone who studied the past. Historians use both kinds together.

Reflect

What primary source about today would you save?