Which of the following groups are primary sources? (Please Help?!)
A.a slave's diary, a cooking pot, and a wife's recipe book
B.a book of historical fiction, a museum's historical display, an encyclopedia entry
C.a business contract, a summary of an industry's history, tax records from the past
D.a landowner's bill of purchase for farm equipment, a picture of farm tools, a landowner's record books

Question

Which of the following groups are primary sources?  (Please Help?!)
A.a slave's diary, a cooking pot, and a wife's recipe book
B.a book of historical fiction, a museum's historical display, an encyclopedia entry
C.a business contract, a summary of an industry's history, tax records from the past
D.a landowner's bill of purchase for farm equipment, a picture of farm tools, a landowner's record books

anonymous · Answer

Primary sources are generally "eyewitness" documents written or created by individual(s) from the period you are studying.  A document like an encyclopedia article or an historical summary is a secondary source, interpreting primary sources.  The items listed in D) all count as primary materials.