What's the difference between Primary and Secondary Sources in History?

This video introduces students of history to how we do historical research. It explains the difference between primary and secondary sources - the core sources underlying all historical research.

If you need help writing your history essay, one of the cheapest and best resources is Mary Lynn Rampolla's A Pocket Guide to Writing in History:

My name is Dr. Christian Knudsen and I am a medieval historian and Professor of Cultural History in Sheridan’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. My channel posts videos on history and lectures from the courses I teach.

Is there a question you want answered about history or the Middle Ages? Let me know in the comments below.

Camera Equipment used:

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[MukilanSathish]

I even scored a A+ on my medieval ages test thank you so much for the work you did to help us all

[mariaidarraga]

im watching this for school such a good source🙌🙌

[cutecookiemonsterxxcloverx]

Thank you so very much for all your effort into making this video!! You really don’t get enough recognition for it. It really helped me with my exam today

[Averie]

Thank you it helps me understand things more for school.
:)

[lynchamrebias]

thank you sir now i understands about primary and secondary..

[jasssempagan]

Thanks it helped a lot! definitely helped

[dannyjones]

what about when you are writing about a current topic, how do you differentiate between primary and secondary source ?

[MukilanSathish]

You explained very well than other videos amazing let me subscribe you're a star at this hope you get 100k subs

[jerichorhodesalambatin]

Hi sir. How about tertiary sources? What's its difference compared to secondary sources? Btw, great video.

[arturomarcial]

this helped a lot im a student thanks!

[johnrusselaquino]

Thankyou so much this helps me a lot ❤️

[helenkent]

What about Shakespeare using Sophocles? What about when the past folds back or haunts the present? What about myth? Where is the primary source?

[haldennicolajsen]

Might I ask where you got the shirt from?

[Ĵ_boi]

My teacher told me to watch this at home.

[kmqui]

When can a source be both primary and secondary?

[evanash]

Very concise and helpful, but the pedantic history teacher in me feels the need to point out that Wikipedia is a tertiary source (indexes and compiles other sources), not a secondary source.

[kraut]

I thought secondary secondary sources to be from someone other than the primary source not necessarily from a later time period.