Primary source - source created by people who actually saw or participated in an event and recorded that event or their reactions to it immediately after the event.
Secondary source - source created by someone either not present when the event took place or who is removed by time from the event.
Archives - A special collection or collections that house the records of organizations, governments, universities, etc. An archive can also contain collections of the personal papers of an individual or family, photographs, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, etc. Archives usually house materials of an historic nature.
Click here for more definitions of archives.
Where can we find primary sources?
In our homes and communities, especially from older residents.
Museums
Archives
Books, where there are photoes of primary sources
Libraries
Websites of museums and archives, such as the ones below.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/primary.html
http://dbs.ohiohistory.org/africanam/home.cfm
http://dbs.ohiohistory.org/africanam/
http://www.archives.state.al.us/teacher/ww1/lesson1/index.html
Scroll to the bottom of this page for links too historic newspaper articles.
http://www.coshrc.org/arc/education/primsources_states.htm
Here are links to many state archives, including the state of Maryland.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/index.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/
This is one of the premier sites for researching primary documents. LOC stands for Library of Congress, sometimes referred to as "our Nation's Library."