A history textbook is considered which type of historical source?

• A. Primary source
• B. Secondary source
• C. Tertiary source
• D. Original document

Answer: (B)

Understanding how sources relate to the past comes from looking at how close they are to the original events. A history textbook fits into the category of secondary sources because it takes information from primary sources and other research, then explains, analyzes, and organizes that information to present a clear narrative. It’s not the original artifact created during the period being studied, which would make something a primary source, nor is it simply a broad summary of other summaries, which would be a tertiary source. A primary source would be an original document from the time—like a diary, letter, official record, or photograph—while a tertiary source would compile or summarize secondary sources (such as an encyclopedia). So a textbook is best understood as a secondary source: it interprets and synthesizes evidence to tell the history.