Primary and Secondary Sources

1. Primary and Secondary Sources First-Hand versus Second-Hand Information

2. How Do We Know Something Really Happened? • History, like a lot of life, is matter of taking some things on faith. • For example, we have all heard of George Washington, but how do YOU KNOW he really existed? • None of us in this room doubts that he did exist, but how do we know? • Prove it! Right now! Beyond a shadow of a doubt! I dare you!

3. Primary Sources: First-Hand Information • We know he existed because there were witnesses who saw him, talked with him, fought along side him. • But, over 200 years later, we still rely on those witnesses to believe in him. • But…where are they? Not here! So, what good are they? • Well, they left us information about him.

4. Primary Source • A Primary Source is some type of evidence of a person or event that was actually produced/made by someone who was ACTUALLY THERE. • They either PERSONALLY saw it, heard it, felt it, tasted it,… you get the point. That person was actually there.

5. Examples • A personal letter about a witnessed event • A journal or diary with entries about an even that person experienced or witnessed. • A photograph • A recording • A video • An artifact • Autobiographies • Official records • Speeches • Manuscripts • Interviews

6. Secondary Source • A secondary source is a something that is a reference to a primary source. • It interprets or analyzes the primary source. • Its purpose is to explain or clarify the primary source in some way. • It is produced by someone who WAS NOT PRESENT at the actual event.

7. Examples • A journal or magazine about a historical event. ( Written by a person who READ about it) • A history textbook. • An oral story from someone who heard it from someone else. • Biography

8. Can You Tell What It Is??? • On the next slides, you will see various types of resources. • Using what you have learned about the differences between and types of Primary and Secondary sources, try to determine which each is. • Ready?

9. Are you Sure???

10. Go! Psych!

11. Ok. For Real Now!

12. A letter from George Washington to his wife, Martha, discussing how hard the war has been on his troops. • Primary • Cool!

13. The life story of George Washington written by Phineas and Ferb. • Secondary • Yes. They are really smart, but they clearly weren’t there at the time George Washington lived. • Ok, ok. I know they can build a time machine, but you get the point.

14. A report of the number of troops at Valley Forge written by a Captain in charge of supplies in General Washington’s army. • Primary. He has direct, personal knowledge of the people in the army there at that time.

15. A story of the Battle of Valley Forge written by the great, great grandson of George Washington using George Washington’s own personal diary of the events of that battle. • Secondary. Remember, the source-the story-is BASED on a primary document, but it in and of itself, is not.

16. Congratulations! • You have now become a “source expert”. • Go forth and be documented!