There is a wide range of different types of primary sources. Primary sources are not just limited to printed text. Print is just one of the many different formats possible.
| First-hand accounts or original documents | Data | Creative Works | Relics or Artifacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| diaries | raw statistical data | artwork | pottery |
| speeches | collected research data | literature | clothing and textiles |
| letters | surveys | musical score | architecture |
| manuscripts | sculpture | furniture | |
| interviews | performance | ||
| maps | |||
| news film footage | |||
| autobiographies | |||
| official records | |||
| photographs |
News and newspaper articles are a unique type of source - sometimes they are primary sources and sometimes secondary sources. There are some important things to consider when deciding whether a newspaper article is a primary source or not:
When was it written?
News articles written during the events they describe are more likely to be considered primary sources versus news articles that recount events from the past - separated by a long interval of time.
What type of article is it?
Editorial or Opinion articles offer commentary and perspective on the news, but are not considered to be first-hand accounts of events.
Act to Establish the Treasury Department, September 2, 1789 from the National Archives
This document is also available from the Library of Congress, Statutes at Large: 1st Congress.
Citation: An Act to Establish the Treasury Department; 9/2/1789; Public Law, 1st Congress, 1st Session, Part 1: Treasury Department, Establishment of, September 2, 1789; Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789 - 2013; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/an-act-to-establish-the-treasury-department, February 23, 2021]
Letter from Horatio Greenough to John Forsyth, February 8, 1840
Citation: Letter from Horatio Greenough to John Forsyth; 2/8/1840; Records from the Department of State, Record Group 59. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/2-letter-from-horatio-greenough-to-john-forsyth, February 23, 2021]
Abraham Lincoln's First Inauguration, 1861
Citation: Abraham Lincoln's First Inauguration; ca. 1861; National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Washington, DC; National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 - 2017; Records of the National Park Service, Record Group 79; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/abraham-lincolns-first-inauguration-photo, February 23, 2021]
New-York Gazette, and the Weekly Mercury, October 14, 1776
Citation: (1776, October 14). New-York Gazette, and the Weekly Mercury (1303), p. [1]. Available from Readex: America's Historical Newspapers: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.georgetown.edu/apps/readex/doc?p=EANX&docref=image/v2%3A14DF7EE55A8D08F7%40EANX-10DF7BC2D05E8188%402370018-10DF7BC2E7820B50%400.
Passenger Arrival Manifest for the Ship Nevada, January 2, 1892
Citation: Passenger Arrival Manifest for the Ship Nevada; 1/2/1892; Passenger Arrivals for January 1892; Passenger Lists, 1820 - 1897; Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36; National Archives at New York, New York, NY. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/manifest-nevada, February 23, 2021]
Survey Map of the Oklahoma and Indian Territory showing Distances, Municipal Towns and Post Offices, published by George Cram, March 16, 1905
Citation: Survey Map of the Oklahoma and Indian Territory showing Distances, Municipal Towns and Post Offices, published by George Cram; 3/16/1905; Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Record Group 233. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/survey-map-of-the-oklahoma-and-indian-territory-showing-distances-municipal-towns-and-post-offices-published-by-george-cram, February 23, 2021]
Fighting American - Comic Book, 1954
Citation: Fighting American; 6/1954-7/1954; Committee Papers, 1816 - 2011; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; Center for Legislative Archives. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/1-fighting-american, February 23, 2021]
Progressive Republicans for Neutrality, September 7, 1939
Citation: Cartoon Y-034; Untitled; 9/7/1939; Berryman Political Cartoon Collection, 1896-1949; Records of the U.S. Senate , Record Group 46 ; National Archives Building, Washington DC, 20408. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/progressive-republicans-neutrality, February 23, 2021]
Twenty-sixth Amendment Certification Ceremony, July 5, 1971
Citation: Twenty-sixth Amendment Certification Ceremony; 7/5/1971; White House Motion Film Unit Files, 1969 - 1974; Collection RN-NPC: Records of the Naval Photographic Center (Nixon Administration); Richard Nixon Library, Yorba Linda, CA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/26-amendment-ceremony, February 23, 2021]