A primary source is a record or artifact from a given era that provides original documentary evidence of the time—like a snapshot of an experience, taken by someone who was there.
What are examples of primary sources?
Examples of primary sources include:
diaries
government documents
letters
oral histories
newspaper and magazine articles (from the time period under study)
photographs
artifacts
resource: This Primary Sources guide from Yale gives an overview of the major types of primary sources and why you might use them.