Primary Sources in Social Studies

The Civil War Ends

What is a primary source?

An original document or the description of an event or time period by a person who witnessed it or lived at the time.

Examples of Primary Sources

an eyewitness account a description, written at the time artwork or photographs of an event legal documents business records an original sound recording

An eyewitness account of an event

newspaper or magazine stories autobiographies photographs artwork depicting the event

Who were the key figures?

President Abraham Lincoln

Brady Collection, 1864

Jefferson Davis, President, C.S.A.1865

General Ulysses S. Grant1865

General Robert E. Lee. C.S.A.

[between 1860 and 1865]

Where did the surrender take place?

Appomattox Court House, Virginia1865

McLean House, Where Lee signed Capitulation papers, ca. 1865

A first hand account of an historical period

letters and manuscripts personal journals and diaries autobiographies interviews

April 9th

Genl Lee has surrendered to Genl Grant with his whole Army!! Mr Lincoln has returned to Washington as in fine Spirits at the prospect of a speedy peace. It is thought that Johnson and the other rebel Genls will give up now that Lee has surrendered.

Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft

April 9,1865

Something written or created around the time of the event

legal documents (wills, property, birth and death records)

business and accounts records (contracts) newspaper or magazine articles

First Announcement of Lee’s Surrender

Philadelphia, April 9th, 1865

The true peace commissionersLithograph, 1864

Jefferson Davis

Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, 1861

A sound recording from a specific time

a recording of a speech a recorded interview recorded music

What is a secondary source?An account (or artwork) created by someone who was not present at the time.

The writer or artist researched the event and then wrote about it.

The information might be based on several sources (primary and secondary).

Examples of Secondary Sources nonfiction information books

reference book articles (encyclopedias)

biographies

textbooks

artwork that depicts an historical event that happened long ago

Why are primary sources important? They help us to better understand the event

or time period.

They allow us to see an individual’s response to an event or time (different perspectives).

They bring history alive.

Are primary sources objective?

Primary sources are not always objective.

They may be subjective and sometimes biased.

They might describe someone’s personal feelings about an event or time in history.

Where can we find primary sources?

On the internet: Library of Congress digital collections: documents, photographs,

manuscripts, artwork sound recordings

In libraries: Published journals, diaries, autobiographies