What are the differences between the primary and secondary sources of history

Dear Student, 

The main difference between primary and secondary sources of history is that primary sources are created directly by the individuals who lived during the period of history under consideration whereas secondary sources are derived from primary sources.

For example, primary sources are  letters written by individuals who lived in the period under consideration, photographs and painting from that period, newspapers from that period etc. They are written or created by the people who lived during that period. On the other hand, secondary sources are textbooks, articles and reference books that interpret and analyze the primary sources. They may be written or created long after the historical period under consideration.

Regards. 

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