Primary Sources  Primary sources are sources that are original. They are not books, textbooks, encyclopedias, or accounts written by other people.  Basically they are sources that do not have opinion or interpretation attached to them.  They are actual sources from the historical time period being studied. Examples of primary sources: An Autobiography A Journal A painting An eyewitness account A government document Birth Records - Death records - A Diary For example: A book written about the French Revolution is not a primary source. A journal written by someone who was alive during the French Revolution is a primary source. Sample Regents Question: Which document is an example of a primary source? 1) a textbook on Russian history 2) an encyclopedia article on religions of the Middle East 3) a novel on the Age of Exploration 4) the diary of a survivor of a Nazi death camp (Answer: #4)