FYS 100 (10): Monumental Change (Maurantonio)

What are primary sources? See this definition from the Library of Congress here : “Primary sources” are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience". You will most often work with primary sources that have been digitized by a library, museum, archive or even a community based project unless you go visit a collection in a physical space. Some primary sources are digital by nature like social media. See suggestions on how to engage students with primary sources here.

Example: The Confederate Monuments in Richmond or photos of them, could be considered primary sources, not about the Civil War itself, but about building the mythology around it. They reflect the time period when they were created- long after the Civil War had already ended.

Can a secondary source be a primary source also? Yes, it all depends on the project topic! Generally things like books or news articles that are written about  a topic or provide a reflection about an event after the fact would be considered secondary sources. They can also be considered primary sources though. For example, if you are examining the Lost Cause through newspaper articles and are looking for attitudes about the Civil War during the Jim Crow era, then these news articles would be considered primary and not secondary sources.

 Where do I find primary sources and how do I search for them? Everywhere, really. The material you find on the internet or Google comes from somewhere- usually a library, archive, or museum has digitized it. What is online is only a fraction of what exists in these institutions. Some of it is accessible to us online for free, but other collections Boatwright Library pays for. How you search for these materials is pretty unique to each database, some are more user friendly than others. Search by using key words that describe your topic, or try using available filters (time period, object type) to narrow your search. It is very common you make discoveries by chance while looking for something else. Example: imagine you are searching for photos of Confederate monuments but through this process discover a subset of artifacts and photos commemorating "monument unveilings"

What if the website doesn't give much information about the primary source? Should I still use it? Not all primary sources you find will have a lot of context or story describing what they are unfortunately. Choose whether to use materials that lack description or context based on how integral it is to the lesson.

What about copyright for primary sources I find online or elsewhere? Because you are using these materials for educational purposes, teaching and learning, you don't have to ask for permission from the rights holders. This is stipulated under Fair Use.

Do I need to cite these sources? Yes! Even if you don't have to ask for permission, you still need to credit the creators and create a list of references for the project. It is also very useful to you as the researcher, so you know where all of these resources were found.

There are so many places to look I am overwhelmed and don't know where to start! Slow down your research process first. Think about what you are most interested in learning and finding. Look for background information about the topic. When you find a website that that has primary materials- see how well the site contextualizes these resources and whether they provide important background information like the name of the creator, where it was made, and the date it was created (at minimum). You should also determine if the website where you found the source is credible by noting the organization(s) associated with it (sometimes these are museums, libraries, or universities ) or which experts are involved in contributing to it (historians, scholars, curators, community members).

How do these sites use primary sources to tell a story?

• The American Civil War Museum Online Exhibits

• Virginia Department of Historic Resources blogpost "Creating Monument Avenue"