Definitions:

Any history student needs to understand the fundamental difference between primary and secondary sources.

A PRIMARY SOURCE is a piece of evidence from the time period under study, often written by an eyewitness or at least someone living at the time. Primary sources can come in a variety of forms, from written (epics, poems, diaries, court cases, etc.) to archaeological (ruins, temples, paintings, coins, etc.).

A SECONDARY SOURCE analyzes, interprets or discusses the primary source. Secondary sources often use the information from primary sources when examining a topic. Examples of secondary sources include: textbooks, articles, encyclopedias AND the introduction to texts in your sourcebook.

Some tips on how to read (and write about) primary sources:

    The source itself:

What type of source is it?
When was it written?
Who is the author(s): gender, class, nationality, status, religion
Who is the intended audience?
What is the topic of the source? Key terms, major ideas?

    Analyzing the source:

        What is the purpose of the source?
        What does it tell us about:
            -Social structure: citizenship, class, gender, family
            -Politics: type of government? Tyranny, despotism, democracy?
            -Economy: type of economy (agriculture/industrial)? Resources?
            -Geography/climate
            -Military: wars, treaties, technologies?
            -Ideas/values/beliefs: religion, philosophy, equality
        What does the source NOT tell us? What is omitted?

    Significance:
        Why is this document important?
        What vital information does it provide about the society under study?
        What can we learn from this source?