EC3 History Resources: Primary sources

What is a primary source? 

Primary sources are often referred to as first hand accounts or original records. Some primary sources are written at the time of an event, and others, like an autobiography, are written long after the event has occurred.

Some examples listed below: 

• Letters 
• Diaries 
• Autobiographies 
• Speeches
• Newspaper articles written at the time of the event
• Maps
• Statistics
• Oral histories

This guide contains links to some sites where you can find primary sources.