A Historical Source
Historical sources are something that tells us about history. They are called sources because they
provide us with information which can add to the sum of our knowledge of the past. It may be a
document, a picture, a sound recording, a book, a cinema film, a television program or an object.
Any sort of artifact from a particular period that conveys information is called a source.
a) Primary sources - something that originates from the past. It can be a chronicle, a piece of
pottery, or even a piece of glacial ice that gives us climate data about the levels of atmospheric
carbon one thousand years ago. Historians, to the best of their abilities, work with primary sources
to understand the past on its own terms, not through the modern-day lenses.
b) Secondary sources - a work that comments on the past. A secondary source is a book about
history, a recently written book that describes past events, often written by a historian or trained
scholar. They are produced by authors who have examined a variety of primary sources dating to a
previous era while doing an investigation into an historical topic. (e.g. books written by an author or
authors on a particular subject or articles in academic journals)
Historical sources can also be divided into:
Non-written sources - 1. material sources
2. audio recordings and visuals
3. oral histories
Written sources - 1. official records of organisations and government agencies
2. diaries, personal letters, and correspondence
3. narrative and literary sources
4. periodicals
What sort of sources are these?
novels, autobiographies, recorded speeches, government records books or autobiographies written
by contemporary figures (people who lived in that era), court transcripts, police records, newspaper
or magazine articles, government documents such as law codes or transcripts of parliamentary
proceedings, interviews, laboratory notes, ships’ logs, inscriptions, photographs, folk tales, oral
histories, legends, works of art, song lyrics, periodicals on film, newsreels, documentaries,
manuscripts, birth certificates, posters, artifacts of all kinds, such as tools, coins, clothing, furniture,
technical reports, patents, chronicles etc.
A private diary reflect on political, social or cultural life, and, above all the every-day life of a given
era. While a diary might reveal a hidden opinion or unknown event, an autobiography might also
attempt to change the historical record in the author’s interest and might not be reliable. We must
be careful with sources written by those figures who were close to the events they are describing.
Their memories may be confusing, and they might even exaggerate particular details. Consider this,
if you were writing an autobiography of your own life, would you describe in detail all of your most
embarrassing moments or faults?
Similarly, newspaper reports and articles are often greatly influenced by the political atmosphere in
which they are written. Thirty years after a story appears in the newspaper, new information will
often have come to light, and the information given may appear incorrect – or even ridiculous. It is
important to remember that earlier authors did not always have access to as many sources – or as
many sides of the story, as we do now.
Considering the nature of the era in which the documents were produced, and the audience for
whom they were written, can help to evaluate their usefulness.
Working with historical sources
Questions to ask:
A. Place the source in its historical context.
1. Who wrote it? What do you know about the author? When did the author live?
2. Where and when was it written?
3. Why was it written?
4. To what audience is it addressed? What do you know about this audience?
B. Classify the source.
1. What kind of work is it?
2. What was its purpose?
C. Understand the source.
1. What are the key words in the source and what do they mean?
2. What the author trying to say?
3. Is the author objective?
4. How reliable is the source?
5. What problems does it address?
6. What are the unfamiliar words, expressions or names?
D. Evaluate the source as a source of historical information.
1. How typical is this source for this period?
2. How widely was this source circulated?
