A major difference between primary sources and secondary sources is that primary sources:

• A. do not provide interpretation of historical events.
• B. cannot be used to formulate historical questions.
• C. are generally the most reliable type of historical evidence.
• D. provide firsthand historical information.

Answer: (D)

Primary sources are original materials created during the time of the event, so they provide firsthand historical information because they come directly from people who witnessed or participated in what happened (diaries, letters, official records, photographs, artifacts, etc.). Secondary sources, by contrast, analyze and interpret those originals, offering synthesis and commentary rather than the original evidence itself. That firsthand nature is what sets primary sources apart: they are the raw materials historians use to understand the past, while interpretations or conclusions about those materials come from secondary sources. While a primary source can reflect a creator’s perspective or biases, it remains a direct record from the period, rather than a later analysis.