Primary and Secondary Sources Simplified

The difference of primary and secondary source simplified

1. What are their
differences?
PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY
SOURCES IN
HISTORY
AYES, RYAN RANOEL D.

2. Primary sources are direct,
firsthand accounts of an event,
created by individuals who
experienced or witnessed the event
at the time it occurred.
Primary source

3. •Letters
•Diaries
•Speeches
•Photograph
Examples of primary sources
A diary written by a soldier during World
War I or a photograph of a civil rights
protest.

4. Interpretations, analyses, or
summaries of historical events,
often written after the event by
someone who did not experience it
firsthand.
Secondary source

5. •Textbooks,
•Journal articles
•Biographies
•Documentaries
•History books
Examples of secondary sources
A history textbook about World War II,
written long after the war, using sources
like letters, government documents, and
eyewitness accounts.