Primary Sources:

Primary sources are those created at the time of an historical event or era. These include:

v Published documents - books, newspapers, pamphlets, advertisements, laws, etc.
Example: United Nations- Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

v Unpublished documents - letters, diaries, financial records, etc.
Example: purchase agreement / contract during the time of the Atlantic slave trade

v Oral traditions and histories
Example: An interview with a miner describing life in a coal mine.

v Visual documents and artifacts
Example: A postcard mailed in 1900.