Sources of History
Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com
Adapted from a work created by Amber Carter
The tools of the historians trade
How history is created.
What a primary source is.
What a secondary source is.
Books about historical events and people do not fall out of the sky.
To find out about what occurred in the past people must examine sources.
Sources are pieces of evidence that reveal the past.
Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-crVXOR3qxuE/T35xRSDGY_I/AAAAAAAAAAY/9
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http://www.daacs.org/wp-content/uploads/site_images/107_file.jpg
A record of an event as it originally occurred.
Free from a third party’s interpretation (what someone else thinks it is or means)
Free from anyone else’s analysis (taking it apart to find out what it means)
Some examples include the following:
Also: oral historiesLetters, diaries
PhotosSome newspaper
articles*
Artifacts
Offers an analysis (someone’s point of view) or explanation of primary sources
Historians often use primary sources to support their opinions/ideas
Examples:
Books and articles
Primary Source examplesSecondary Source
examples
Original ArtworkMagazine article describing
piece of art
Original letterBiography about a person’s
life
Videotape of theatre performance
Critic’s review of a performance
Some examples of the primary sources