People who study history use many sources for their information.  They categorize these sources as primary or secondary documents.  A primary document means a ‘first source.’  A document written at the time that something happened by someone who was at the scene is a primary document.

We usually think of diaries, letters, and eye-witness accounts as primary documents.  Drawings, photographs, and recordings can also be primary documents, if they were made when an event was happening.   Sometimes things like tools or a song can also be primary documents.

A secondary document is something that was created after an event occurred.  A reminiscence or memoir is not as good a source of information as a diary or letter.  The Historical Collections is an excellent secondary source about life in the Mahoning Valley before 1830.  On the other hand, it tells us what was important to people about their history at the time of the United States Centennial.