How do we know about the past?
Historians are like detectives. They use clues called sources to figure out what happened, when, and why. Sources can be letters, photos, objects, books, videos, interviews and more.
There are two main kinds: primary sources and secondary sources.
Primary sources
A primary source was created at the time of an event, by someone who was there or involved. It gives first-hand information.
Examples:
- diaries and letters
- photographs and videos
- speeches and interviews
- newspaper articles written at the time
- maps and official documents, such as treaties or laws
- artifacts: objects such as tools, clothing, toys and coins
- oral histories: stories and memories told by people who lived through events, including Indigenous oral traditions passed down by Elders
- paintings and drawings made at the time
Example: A soldier’s letter home from the First World War is a primary source.
Secondary sources
A secondary source was created later by someone who was not there. They studied primary sources and explained or interpreted them.
Examples:
- textbooks
- encyclopedias
- history books and biographies written later
- documentaries
- articles analyzing past events
Example: A textbook chapter about the First World War is a secondary source.
Comparing primary and secondary sources
| Primary source | Secondary source | |
|---|---|---|
| Who made it? | someone who was there | someone who studied it later |
| When? | at the time of the event | after the event |
| Strengths | first-hand details and feelings | overview, uses many sources, explains the big picture |
| Weaknesses | may show only one person’s view; may be hard to understand | depends on the author’s choices and interpretation |
Quick test: Ask, "Was the creator there at the time?" If yes, it’s probably primary.
Point of view and bias
Every source has a point of view: the perspective of the person who created it. A settler and a First Nations person might describe the same event very differently.
Sometimes sources show bias: a one-sided view that leaves out information or presents things unfairly. Bias isn’t always intentional. People see events through their own experiences.
That’s why historians look at many sources and compare them.
Questions to ask about a source
- What is it?
- Who made it? What was their point of view?
- When and where was it made?
- Why was it made? To inform, persuade, remember or entertain?
- What does it tell us? What does it leave out?
- Can I check it with other sources?
Using evidence
Evidence is information that supports a conclusion. When you make a claim about the past, back it up with evidence from sources.
Claim: Life was hard for early settlers on the Prairies.
Evidence: A settler’s diary describes a sod house, freezing winters and grasshoppers destroying crops. Old photos show families standing in front of tiny sod homes.
Try it yourself
- Sort these into primary or secondary: your birth certificate, a library book about dinosaurs, a photo of your grandparents’ wedding, an encyclopedia article, a diary from 1910.
- Bring an artifact from home. What can it tell us about the past?
- Interview an older family member about their childhood. You’ve created a primary source!
- Compare two sources about the same event. How are their points of view different?
Answers to 1: primary, secondary, primary, secondary, primary.
Quick recap
- Historians use sources as clues about the past.
- Primary sources were made at the time by people who were there.
- Secondary sources were made later by people who studied the past.
- Every source has a point of view, and some show bias.
- Good historians compare many sources and use evidence to support claims.