Types of Primary Sources & Historical Divisions
Primary sources come in many forms: literary sources (novels, poems, plays), accounts (newspapers, memoirs, letters), information about people (census records, biographies), and place-specific materials (maps, photographs, local records).
History is divided into prehistory (no written records, studied through fossils and artifacts) and history (written records exist). This distinction matters because written sources give us much more detailed information about people's thoughts and motivations.
Watch Out: Not all "historical" information is reliable. Black propaganda and fake news have existed throughout history – people have always tried to spread false information for political gain.
Secondary sources like book reviews, analysis, and commentary help interpret primary sources, but remember they're filtered through someone else's perspective.