PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

Primary Sources A primary source is created by a person who actually witnessed or participated in an event when it happened. The primary source explains the event or is an historical record from the event.

Primary Sources Can you think of examples? Diaries Letter Newspapers Recorded speeches Photographs s or phone calls

Secondary Sources Secondary sources are created by people who were not present at the event. Secondary sources are often created from primary sources.

Secondary Sources Can you think of examples? Dictionaries Encyclopedias Biographies Magazines Nonfiction books Textbooks

Thank You, Sarah In 1863, Thanksgiving became a national holiday because of a persistent letter writer. When Sarah Hale noticed that people were forgetting Thanksgiving, she wrote the president, asking that he declare a national holiday. Not a woman to take “No” for an answer, Sarah Hale continued writing for four decades and five presidents. Finally, in October 1863, President Lincoln responded by signing a Thanksgiving proclamation. Read the letter Hale sent to Lincoln: entry for September 28, 1863.entry for September 28, 1863