Understanding Primary Sources

What are primary sources?

• Materials from the time period being studied

• Modern interpretations of historical events

• Fictional accounts of past events

• Secondary analyses of historical data

Why are primary sources considered authentic?

• They are created by historians

• They originate from the actual time being studied

• They are always complete and unbiased

• They are modern recreations of past events

What is a limitation of primary sources?

• They always provide a complete picture

• They can be biased or incomplete

• They are never authentic

• They are only useful for modern events

How do primary sources help us understand history?

• By providing fictional stories

• By offering firsthand information

• By giving modern interpretations

• By focusing only on famous events

What should researchers do to get a balanced view from primary sources?

• Rely solely on primary sources

• Ignore the context of the sources

• Compare them with other sources

• Assume they are always accurate