Which statement best defines a primary source?

• A. Secondary sources are original documents created at the time.
• B. Primary sources summarize other sources.
• C. Primary sources are original sources created at the time; secondary interprets or summarizes primary sources.
• D. Primary sources are always biased.

Answer: (C)

A primary source is an original artifact or record created at the time of an event, providing direct evidence from someone who experienced or witnessed it. It isn’t a later interpretation; it’s the raw material historians or researchers analyze and interpret.

The statement that best defines a primary source says they are original sources created at the time, while secondary sources interpret or summarize those primary sources. That captures the two distinct roles: primary sources are the direct, contemporaneous materials, and secondary sources are the analyses built from them. The other options mix up the roles or make an absolute claim about bias, which isn’t part of the definition. For example, a diary from someone who lived through a event is a primary source, whereas a history book that explains that event using the diary is a secondary source.