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HIST 2020.06: American History II, Open Educational Resources version, Spring 2021

This guide provides links to the sources used in HIST 2020.06, as well as guides and supplemental materials.

Why primary sources?

The Library of Congress defines primary sources as "the raw materials of history—original documents and objects that were created at the time under study."

Secondary sources are "accounts that retell, analyze, or interpret events, usually at a distance of time or place."

Above definitions from "Types of Sources" at the Library of Congress website: https://guides.loc.gov/student-resources/types#s-lib-ctab-25580069-0

There are other definitions, and some gray areas as well. Sometimes the same document can be used as both a primary and a secondary source. For instance, textbooks are usually treated as secondary (or tertiary) sources, but if you were writing about how different textbooks cover a particular historical event, they would be considered primary sources.

Other Primary Sources