Historical sources are any evidence that people have left behind that help us learn about their activities. 

In history, we identify historical sources as being either PRIMARY or SECONDARY.

A primary source is a first-hand account. This means that it comes from someone who lived during a time period or an event that we are studying. 

Some examples of primary sources are:

• Laws

• Newspaper accounts written by people who witnessed an event or that quote people who did

• Diaries and journals

• Speeches

• Interviews of people who witnessed an event

• Data (population, economics, etc)

• Photographs, paintings, video, and audio

• Poem

• Treaty

A secondary source is a second-hand account. This means that it is a step away from a primary source. Secondary sources use primary sources to provide an interpretation of a historical event.

Some examples of secondary sources are:

• Textbooks

• Documentaries

• A book about history

• An academic paper about history