Q. What is a primary source?

A primary source  is a first-hand account of an event (diary), the actual item, document, or work (United States Constitution).

• Interviews, diaries, letters, journals, speeches, autobiographies, and witness statements
• Articles containing original research, data, or findings never before shared
• Original hand-written manuscripts
• Government documents and public records
• Art, photographs, films, maps, fiction, and music
• Newspaper and magazine clippings
• Artifacts, buildings, furniture, and clothing

A secondary source is something written about the event or work (a critical essay discussing the imagery found in the short story, A Rose for Emily), a biography about a Thomas Jefferson.