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HIST 321: U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction: Primary Sources

A primary source is a document or record containing firsthand information or original data on a topic. Primary sources are created contemporaneously with the topic they describe. Examples of primary sources include:

  • Original manuscripts
  • Diaries
  • Memoirs
  • Letters
  • Journals
  • Photographs
  • Drawings
  • Interviews 
  • Government documents 
  • Public records
  • Eyewitness accounts
  • Artifacts

Summary of characteristics: 

  • Original, first-hand account of an event or time period
  • Usually written or made during or close to the event or time period
  • Original, creative writing or works of art
  • Factual, not interpretive

A secondary source is a work that is one step removed from the original source. Secondary sources are created after the fact, and describe, summarize, analyze, or evaluate primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include:

  • Books and scholarly articles
  • Reviews 
  • Critical analyses 
  • Biographical studies
  • Historical studies

 Summary of characteristics:

  • Analyzes and interprets primary sources
  • Second-hand account of an historical event
  • Interprets creative work

If you are unsure of what would be considered a primary source for your particular project, ask your professor for examples. The following is an incomplete list of things that might be considered primary sources by different academic disciplines. 

 

  • Anthropology 
    artifact, field notes, fossil, photograph 

  • Art 
    architectural model or drawing, building or structure, letter, motion picture, organizational records, painting, personal account, photograph, print, sculpture, sketch book  

  • Biology 
    field notes, plant specimen, research report  

  • Economics 
    company statistics, consumer survey, data series  

  • Engineering 
    building or structure, map, geological survey, patent, schematic drawing, technical report  

  • Government 
    government report, interview, letter, news report, personal account, press release, public opinion survey, speech, treaty or international agreement  

  • History 
    artifact, diary, government report, interview, letter, map, news report, oral history, organizational records, photograph, speech, work of art  

  • Law 
    code, statute, court opinion, legislative report  

  • Literature 
    contemporary review, interview, letter, manuscript, personal account, published work 

  • Music 
    contemporary review, letter, personal account, score, sound recording 

  • Psychology 
    case study, clinical case report, experimental replication, follow-up study, longitudinal study, treatment outcome study 

  • Religious Studies 
    sacred texts, religious writings (sermons, hymns, prayers), historical documents and relics, oral traditions (stories, songs, rituals), artifacts and religious sites 

  • Sociology 
    cultural artifact, interview, oral history, organizational records, statistical data, survey 

 

Source: "Primary Sources: What are they?" Lafayette College Library. 

Primary Sources at the Armacost Library

Locate primary sources in the LIBRARY CATALOG by searching for "Civil War, 1861-1865" or "Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)" and any/all of: "personal narratives" OR sources OR biography OR campaigns (to search for multiple terms together, OR must be in upper case)

Or try searching for the following Subjects using "contains exact phrase" in the drop-down:

  • Civil War 1861-1865 personal narratives
  • Civil War 1861-1865 biography
  • Civil War 1861-1865 sources
  • Civil War 1861-1865 campaigns

 

Tags: hist, history