Primary and Secondary Sources

This resource is to help students distinguish between primary and secondary sources by analyzing historical documents from the American Revolution. Students learn to identify primary sources, such as Patrick Henry’s 1775 speech and the Declaration of Independence, as firsthand accounts or original documents created during the event. Conversely, they learn to classify secondary sources, such as a 2020 Britannica Encyclopedia entry, as works written by historians that summarize and interpret facts long after the events occurred. The material emphasizes that historians use both source types to combine direct evidence with broader historical context and expert research.