Grades 3–5 · History & Evidence
Is this an original record or a later retelling?
A source can have a different relationship to an event depending on when and how it was made. For a question about an event, an original record from someone involved can be a primary source. A later account that uses such records is a secondary source.
In the diagramOriginal record or later retelling?Fictional event: a lantern show in 1912Mira’s diaryWritten in 1912“I saw 12 lanterns.”Mira attended the show.History bookWritten in 1980“Mira wrote of 12.”Author used Mira’s diary.The book depends on the diary; not two witnesses.Diary: event-time record, still worth checking.
In the invented example, Mira attended a lantern show in 1912 and wrote about it in her diary that year. Her diary is an event-time record. A book written in 1980 uses the diary to retell the show, making it a later secondary account for this question.
These labels describe relationships, not automatic truthfulness. Mira might have miscounted the lanterns, and a later author might examine the record carefully. The book also does not become a second independent witness merely by repeating the diary. Knowing how an account was made helps explain the kind of evidence it provides.
About this explanation
Starting knowledge: Read short dated statements and distinguish attending an event from reading about it later.
Sources
- Library of Congress — Getting Started with Primary Sources