Which statement best distinguishes a primary source from a secondary source?

• A. A primary source interprets events; a secondary source is the original artifact.
• B. A primary source is a map; a secondary source is a photograph.
• C. A primary source is an eyewitness account or original artifact; a secondary source interprets or analyzes primary sources.
• D. A primary source is a later summary; a secondary source is an original document.

Answer: (C)

Primary sources provide firsthand evidence from the time of the event, created by people who experienced or witnessed what happened. An eyewitness account or an original artifact fits this idea because it comes directly from the source material itself. A secondary source, on the other hand, interprets, analyzes, or synthesizes those primary materials after the fact, offering explanations or context built from the originals. That’s why an eyewitness account or an original artifact is the correct description of a primary source, while the activity of interpreting those materials is what makes a source secondary. Examples help: a soldier’s diary or a treaty document is primary; a history book or scholarly article that discusses those documents is secondary. Some items like maps or photographs can be primary if they were created during the period under study, and a later summary of events is secondary, since it analyzes rather than presents the original material.