Primary Sources

Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources are works that contain firsthand information or original data on a topic, such as:  letters, diaries and memoirs, oral histories, interviews, speeches, photographs & maps, newspaper clippings, recorded sound, films, sheet music, artifacts, government documents and public records.
Secondary Sources are works that are one step removed from the primary source that summarize or evaluate the primary source, such as: reviews and critiques, second-person accounts, biography or histories.

The availability and kinds of primary sources vary with time period and topic. There are more sources available for the 19th, 20th and 21st century than for earlier periods due to an increase in literacy and the growth of mass media including newspapers, radio, television, twitter, etc.
 
There are fewer sources available for earlier periods because less was created (no newspapers, magazines, etc.), less survived in addition to most people not being able to read or write letters and diaries.  

It is also important to keep in mind that primary sources were more often saved from wealthier individuals that were literate in English, which impacts our ability to know about the perspective of all Americans.

Below are a few places where we can find reputable Primary Sources.