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We Hold These Truths: A Civic History of the United States - HIST 25000

What is a primary source?

Many students may find useful this definition of primary sources:: "Primary sources are those with a direct link, in time and place, to the person, event, situation, or culture under study." 

For example, a newspaper article on the outbreak of World War II in 1939 would be a primary source; a newspaper article on the outbreak of that war in 2014 would be considered a secondary source. A primary source, such Abraham Lincoln's "Emancipation Proclamation," issued January 1, 1863, is a primary source, but it is also a primary source when republished in 1963.

Historical Newspapers