A primary source is a document, speech, or other sort of evidence written, created or otherwise produced during the time under study. Primary sources offer an inside view of a particular event. Use the tabs above to find help locating different types of primary sources.

The Declaration of Independence

• Original documents: autobiographies, diaries, e-mail, interviews, letters, minutes, news film footage, official records, photographs, raw research data, speeches, personal narratives, sources, memoirs, letters, dispatches, interviews, pamphlets, diaries, speeches, translations
• Creative works: art, drama, films, music, novels, poetry
• Relics or artifacts: buildings, clothing, DNA, furniture, jewelry, pottery