Discover How to Use Historical Sources Like a Real Historian!

When you want to learn about the past, you need evidence proof that helps you understand what really happened. Historians use different kinds of sources to find this evidence. Learning about sources helps you think like a real historian, just like when you explore Historical Connections: Causes in Time and Change.

There are two main types of sources: primary sources and secondary sources. Knowing the difference helps you find the best information about history.

A primary source is something created by a person who actually lived during the time being studied. It gives you a direct, firsthand look at history.

Examples of primary sources include diaries, letters, old maps, artifacts, account books, logbooks, and photographs. For example, a diary written by a fur trader in 1820 is a primary source because that person experienced those events themselves.

Primary sources are valuable because they show you exactly what life was like at that time not someone else's ideas written later. When you study Different Viewpoints, you will see how different primary sources can show different perspectives of the same event.

A secondary source is created by someone who did NOT live during the time being studied. Textbooks, modern documentaries, and encyclopedia articles are secondary sources.

Secondary sources can still be helpful, but they are written after the events happened. Historians use both primary and secondary sources together to get a full picture of the past.

An artifact is an object that was made and used by people in the past. A beaded belt from the 1600s, an explorer's compass from 1741, or old farming tools from the 1800s are all artifacts.

Artifacts act as primary sources because they come directly from the time period being studied. When you visit a museum, you can see real artifacts that connect you to history. This connects to what you learn about Indigenous Communities and the objects they created.

Not every source tells the complete truth. A person writing a diary might only share their own point of view or leave out important details. That is why historians always compare multiple sources before drawing conclusions.

You should ask: Who created this source? When was it made? What perspective does it show? This careful thinking connects to skills you build in Different Viewpoints and Community Stories.

Primary Source: A primary source is an original item created by someone who actually lived during the time being studied. Examples you might find include diaries, letters, artifacts, maps, and logbooks.

Secondary Source: A secondary source is created later by someone who did not experience the events firsthand. Textbooks and modern documentaries are secondary sources.

Evidence: Evidence is any proof that supports what we know about history. It can be an object, a document, or a photograph from the past.

Artifact: An artifact is an object made and used by people in the past, like tools, pottery, clothing, or artwork. Artifacts are primary sources.

Document: A document is a written record from the past, such as a letter, diary, account book, or logbook, that tells you what happened long ago.

Historian: A historian is an expert who researches and tells stories about the past using sources and evidence.

Archive: An archive is like a special library that protects old documents and materials so future generations can learn from them.

Timeline: A timeline helps you organize historical events in order so you can see what came first and what came later. You can explore this more in Timeline Skills.

You can practice identifying sources by looking at old photographs, letters, or objects in a museum. Ask yourself: Was this made by someone who lived at that time? If yes, it is a primary source!

You can also practice comparing sources. Find two different accounts of the same event and notice what is the same and what is different. This skill connects to Historical Connections and helps you understand how history is pieced together.

You have already learned skills that help you use sources well. In Understanding Maps and Using Geography Tools, you practiced reading historical maps which are themselves primary sources!

Your learning about Early Communities, Indigenous Communities, and Interaction Effects gave you important background knowledge about the people and events that historians study using sources.

Using sources connects to many other important history skills. In Timeline Skills, you use sources to place events in the correct order on a timeline. In Historical Connections: Causes in Time and Change, you use sources to understand why events happened.

When you study Different Viewpoints, you compare primary sources from different people to see how the same event looked from different perspectives. In Community Stories, you use sources like oral histories and documents to learn about local communities.

Your understanding of Historical Connections and Traditional Systems also grows stronger when you know how to find and evaluate the sources that tell those stories.