46-455: The Champlain Society seeks to advance knowledge of Canadian history through the publication of scholarly books (both digital and print) of primary records of voyages, travels, correspondence, diaries and governmental documents and memoranda. The Society is named after Samuel de Champlain (1574–1635), the explorer, founder of New France and author of numerous exploratory narratives. The Society
92-476: A memoir would be considered a primary source in research concerning its author or about their friends characterized within it, but the same memoir would be a secondary source if it were used to examine the culture in which its author lived. "Primary" and "secondary" should be understood as relative terms, with sources categorized according to specific historical contexts and what is being studied. In scholarly writing, an important objective of classifying sources
138-410: A biography of a historian, that historian's publications would be primary sources. Documentary films can be considered a secondary source or primary source, depending on how much the filmmaker modifies the original sources. The Lafayette College Library provides a synopsis of primary sources in several areas of study: The definition of a primary source varies depending upon the academic discipline and
184-419: A broader sense primary sources also include artifacts like photographs, newsreels, coins, paintings or buildings created at the time. Historians may also take archaeological artifacts and oral reports and interviews into consideration. Written sources may be divided into three types. In historiography, when the study of history is subject to historical scrutiny, a secondary source becomes a primary source. For
230-453: A certain topic. Whether a source is regarded as primary or secondary in a given context may change, depending upon the present state of knowledge within the field. For example, if a document refers to the contents of a previous but undiscovered letter, that document may be considered "primary", since it is the closest known thing to an original source; but if the letter is later found, it may then be considered "secondary" In some instances,
276-411: A court case may be truthful but may still be distorted to support or oppose the position of one of the parties. Many sources can be considered either primary or secondary, depending on the context in which they are examined. Moreover, the distinction between primary and secondary sources is subjective and contextual, so that precise definitions are difficult to make. A book review, when it contains
322-682: A most matter-of-fact manner and have yielded much material for historians and other researchers of that time period in North American history. Henry married the daughter of Liard Ah-ne-him-ish Cottonwood Little Shell, the brother of the Great Pembina Chippewa Nation Grand Chief La Petite Coquille Little Shell I Corbeau and son of The Great Sioux Nation & The Great Pembina Chippewa Nation Wazhazha Mdewakanton Grand Chief Little Crow I Petit Corbeau Red Wing I. In 1792, with his well-known uncle of
368-444: A narrative that may not be accurate. For any source, primary or secondary, it is important for the researcher to evaluate the amount and direction of bias. As an example, a government report may be an accurate and unbiased description of events, but it may be censored or altered for propaganda or cover-up purposes. The facts can be distorted to present the opposing sides in a negative light. Barristers are taught that evidence in
414-408: A primary source can be a person with direct knowledge of a situation, or a document written by such a person. Primary sources are distinguished from secondary sources , which cite, comment on, or build upon primary sources. Generally, accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight are secondary. A secondary source may also be a primary source depending on how it is used. For example,
460-471: A primary source is not necessarily more of an authority or better than a secondary source. There can be bias and tacit unconscious views that twist historical information. Original material may be... prejudiced, or at least not exactly what it claims to be. The errors may be corrected in secondary sources, which are often subjected to peer review , can be well documented, and are often written by historians working in institutions where methodological accuracy
506-595: A primary source was perpetrated by Sir Edward Dering , who placed false monumental brasses in a parish church . In 1986, Hugh Trevor-Roper authenticated the Hitler Diaries , which were later proved to be forgeries. Recently , forged documents have been placed within the UK National Archives in the hope of establishing a false provenance . However, historians dealing with recent centuries rarely encounter forgeries of any importance. Alexander Henry
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#1732844007423552-522: A scholarly apparatus that provides both the general reader and the student with a context to the material presented, and offers guidance on the relevance of the material within Canadian affairs. Volumes have, since the beginning, been produced in signature red binding, with embossed crest, and typically feature maps and contemporary illustrations. The Champlain Society holds its annual general meeting in October at
598-544: A summary of a book or letter has survived. Potential difficulties with primary sources have the result that history is usually taught in schools using secondary sources. Historians studying the modern period with the intention of publishing an academic article prefer to go back to available primary sources and to seek new (in other words, forgotten or lost) ones. Primary sources, whether accurate or not, offer new input into historical questions and most modern history revolves around heavy use of archives and special collections for
644-534: A teaching career, so instead he entered the business world at the age of twelve years. After hearing the speech, he contacted George Wrong , head of the University of Toronto 's Department of History, and Dr. James Bain, chief librarian of the Toronto Public Library , and within days The Champlain Society was established as a non-profit organization that would function as a subscription publisher. The idea
690-679: Is a registered, not-for-profit charity administered by a voluntary and unpaid team of council members and officers. It was chartered in Ontario in 1927. Membership is open to all who have an interest in Canadian history. It is based in Toronto , Ontario . The Champlain Society was created following a lecture to the Canadian Club in Toronto in March 1905 on "History and Patriotism" given by Charles W. Colby, chair of
736-437: Is based on primary sources, as evaluated by the community of scholars, who report their findings in books, articles, and papers. Arthur Marwick says "Primary sources are absolutely fundamental to history." Ideally, a historian will use all available primary sources that were created by the people involved at the time being studied. In practice, some sources have been destroyed, while others are not available for research. Perhaps
782-449: Is called diplomatics . For centuries, popes used the forged Donation of Constantine to bolster the Papacy's secular power. Among the earliest forgeries are false Anglo-Saxon charters , a number of 11th- and 12th-century forgeries produced by monasteries and abbeys to support a claim to land where the original document had been lost or never existed. One particularly unusual forgery of
828-645: Is important to the future of the author's career and reputation. Historians consider the accuracy and objectivity of the primary sources that they are using and historians subject both primary and secondary sources to a high level of scrutiny. A primary source such as a journal entry (or the online version, a blog), at best, may only reflect one individual's opinion on events, which may or may not be truthful, accurate, or complete. Participants and eyewitnesses may misunderstand events or distort their reports, deliberately or not, to enhance their own image or importance. Such effects can increase over time, as people create
874-459: Is only with great caution that [the author] may proceed to make use of secondary sources." In addition, primary sources avoid the problem inherent in secondary sources in which each new author may distort and put a new spin on the findings of prior cited authors. A history, whose author draws conclusions from other than primary sources or secondary sources actually based on primary sources, is by definition fiction and not history at all. However,
920-437: Is passed from one author to another. In scientific literature , a primary source, or the "primary literature", is the original publication of a scientist's new data, results, and theories. In political history , primary sources are documents such as official reports, speeches, pamphlets, posters, or letters by participants, official election returns, and eyewitness accounts. In the history of ideas or intellectual history ,
966-436: Is to determine their independence and reliability. In contexts such as historical writing, it is almost always advisable to use primary sources and that "if none are available, it is only with great caution that [the author] may proceed to make use of secondary sources." Sreedharan believes that primary sources have the most direct connection to the past and that they "speak for themselves" in ways that cannot be captured through
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#17328440074231012-670: The Archives of the City of Toronto . It also publishes "Findings/Trouvailles", a monthly bulletin on particularly interesting archival finds uncovered by members of the society. The Society also produces "Witness to Yesterday: Explorations into Canada’s Past," a series of podcasts recorded in the Allan Slaight Radio Institute at Ryerson University by students in the Department of Radio & Television Arts. They are partially sponsored by
1058-897: The Floyd S. Chalmers Award for Ontario History . Created through an endowment from Floyd Sherman Chalmers , it is awarded annually to the best book written on any aspect of Ontario history in the preceding calendar year. Sir Edmund Walker , 1905–24; George M. Wrong , 1924–27; J. B. Tyrrell , 1927–32; Eric Armour, 1932–34; H. H. Langton, 1934–36; Sir Robert Falconer , 1936–42; Judge Frederick W. Howay , 1942–43; W. S. Wallace , 1943–48; Harold C. Walker, 1948–53; W. Kaye Lamb , 1953–64; John M. Gray, 1964–69; W. L. Morton , 1969–74; John Warkentin, 1974–79; R. Murray Bell, 1979–84; Peter S. Osler, 1984–88; Frederick H. Armstrong, 1988–91; Gerald Killan, 1991–94; Ian E. Wilson , 1994–2004; Michael B. Moir, 2004–10; Patrice A. Dutil, 2010–18; Michel S. Beaulieu , 2018-2023; Lawrence Ostola, 2023- Primary source In
1104-490: The L. R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History at McMaster University . Supplementary to its primary role as a publisher, the Society also advances its aims by organizing and participating in meetings, symposia and conferences that contribute to an increased awareness of Canada's documentary history. Currently, one volume is published annually. The Society's website hosts a digital version of all its publications, available in full-text to members. The Society also administers
1150-624: The World Digital Library and Flickr Commons have items from all over the world. Trove has primary sources from Australia. Most primary source materials are not digitized and may only be represented online with a record or finding aid . Both digitized and not digitized materials can be found through catalogs such as WorldCat , the Library of Congress catalog , the National Archives catalog , and so on. History as an academic discipline
1196-607: The Department of History at McGill University . Colby had hailed the various societies in the United Kingdom and the United States dedicated to reprinting key documents of history and argued that Canada should have such an organization. The speech prompted Sir Edmund Walker (1848–1924), liberal thinker, philanthropist and president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, into action. A frail constitution prevented Walker from pursuing
1242-465: The available documents relate to England and Wales. Some digital copies of primary sources are available from the National Archives of Scotland . Many County Record Offices collections are included in Access to Archives, while others have their own online catalogs. Many County Record Offices will supply digital copies of documents. In other regions, Europeana has digitized materials from across Europe while
1288-426: The context in which it is used. Although many primary sources remain in private hands, others are located in archives , libraries , museums , historical societies , and special collections . These can be public or private. Some are affiliated with universities and colleges, while others are government entities. Materials relating to one area might be located in many different institutions. These can be distant from
1334-559: The digitized primary source collections of many libraries, archives, and museums. The Internet Archive also has primary source materials in many formats. In the UK, the National Archives provides a consolidated search of its own catalog and a wide variety of other archives listed on the Access to Archives index. Digital copies of various classes of documents at the National Archives (including wills) are available from DocumentsOnline. Most of
1380-469: The filter of secondary sources. In scholarly writing, the objective of classifying sources is to determine the independence and reliability of sources. Though the terms primary source and secondary source originated in historiography as a way to trace the history of historical ideas, they have been applied to many other fields. For example, these ideas may be used to trace the history of scientific theories, literary elements, and other information that
1426-951: The history of communities. These include early accounts dealing with the geography, ethnology and natural history of Canadian regions. The Society has published over 100 volumes. All the works have been published in English, but some include original French texts. Successive Champlain Society editions have featured the works of the following explorers: Samuel de Champlain , Marc Lescarbot , Nicolas Denys , Chretien Le Clercq , Samuel Hearne , John Knox , David Thompson , Pierre Gualtier de Varennes de la Verendrye , John McLean , Francois du Creux , Gabriel Sagard , Sieur de Dièreville , Sir Hovenden Walker , Alexander Begg , Alexander Henry , John Palliser , John Franklin , Gabriel Franchere and Pierre-Esprit Radisson . Many works have examined aspects of Indigenous life, including books by Father Joseph Francois Lafiteau and John Norton . All editions contain
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1472-501: The main primary sources are books, essays, and letters written by intellectuals; these intellectuals may include historians, whose books and essays are therefore considered primary sources for the intellectual historian, though they are secondary sources in their own topical fields. In religious history , the primary sources are religious texts and descriptions of religious ceremonies and rituals . A study of cultural history could include fictional sources such as novels or plays. In
1518-822: The modern states of Wisconsin , Minnesota , North Dakota , Idaho , Oregon , and Washington . He encountered many different tribes of Indians , and in the north saw much of the Chippewas , the three tribes of the Blackfeet , the Crees , Assiniboines , Sioux , Sarcees , and others. In the south, he reached the Mandans , the Minitari , the Rees, and even the Cheyennes , south of the Missouri River . On
1564-434: The only eyewitness reports of an event may be memoirs , autobiographies, or oral interviews that were taken years later. Sometimes the only evidence relating to an event or person in the distant past was written or copied decades or centuries later. Manuscripts that are sources for classical texts can be copies of documents or fragments of copies of documents. This is a common problem in classical studies , where sometimes only
1610-419: The opinion of the reviewer about the book rather than a summary of the book, becomes a primary source. If a historical text discusses old documents to derive a new historical conclusion, it is considered to be a primary source for the new conclusion. Examples in which a source can be both primary and secondary include an obituary or a survey of several volumes of a journal counting the frequency of articles on
1656-751: The original source of the document. For example, the Huntington Library in California houses many documents from the United Kingdom. In the US, digital copies of primary sources can be retrieved from a number of places. The Library of Congress maintains several digital collections where they can be retrieved. Some examples are American Memory and Chronicling America . The National Archives and Records Administration also has digital collections in Digital Vaults . The Digital Public Library of America searches across
1702-430: The project did, especially with the chief editor, Henry Percival Biggar. "Rather than leaving Champlain’s ambiguities, an effort was made to guess what he was trying to say, and rather than leaving his 'laboured pedestrian style,' an effort was made to make it more intelligible to a modern reader." The initial book, the first volume of Lescarbot 's History of New France , edited by W. L. Grant and Henry Percival Biggar ,
1748-498: The purpose of finding useful primary sources. A work on history is not likely to be taken seriously as a scholarship if it only cites secondary sources, as it does not indicate that original research has been done. However, primary sources – particularly those from before the 20th century – may have hidden challenges. "Primary sources, in fact, are usually fragmentary, ambiguous, and very difficult to analyze and interpret." Obsolete meanings of familiar words and social context are among
1794-559: The reason for identifying a text as the "primary source" may devolve from the fact that no copy of the original source material exists, or that it is the oldest extant source for the information cited. Historians must occasionally contend with forged documents that purport to be primary sources. These forgeries have usually been constructed with a fraudulent purpose, such as promulgating legal rights, supporting false pedigrees, or promoting particular interpretations of historic events. The investigation of documents to determine their authenticity
1840-727: The same name, Henry became a partner in the North West Company and he was later a wintering partner of the XY Company and the Pacific Fur Company . His diaries record his travels from Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean . In Canada , he travelled through Ontario , Manitoba , Assiniboia , Keewatin , Saskatchewan , Alberta and British Columbia . In the United States of America his travels took him through areas that comprise
1886-492: The study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called an original source ) is an artifact , document , diary , manuscript , autobiography , recording, or any other source of information that was created at the time under study. It serves as an original source of information about the topic. Similar definitions can be used in library science and other areas of scholarship, although different fields have somewhat different definitions. In journalism ,
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1932-416: The traps that await the newcomer to historical studies. For this reason, the interpretation of primary texts is typically taught as part of an advanced college or postgraduate history course, although advanced self-study or informal training is also possible. In many fields and contexts, such as historical writing, it is almost always advisable to use primary sources if possible, and "if none are available, it
1978-794: The west coast he saw many tribes of the Columbia River , such as the Wanapum . In 1800, during the building of Pembina Post, Red River district, the Indians were extremely inquisitive about Henry's doings with pen and paper. On 27 August 1800, Henry wrote "I told them that I kept an exact account of the Indians behaviour [also] every word they said was put down....every Indian would be rewarded according to his behaviour." In 1808, he travelled with David Thompson from Lake Winnipeg to Fort Vermilion, Alberta . From Fort George , Henry and Donald McTavish (first cousin of Simon McTavish ) were being taken back along
2024-467: The younger Alexander Henry 'The Younger' (c. 1765 – 22 May 1814), was an early Canadian fur trader , explorer and diarist . From 1799 until his premature death in 1814 he kept an extensive diary which is the most complete record ever printed of the daily life of a fur trader in the north. His journals were an account of "personal doings", but cannot be considered a diary of inward thoughts. These journals cover everything that happened to him in
2070-584: Was published in 1907, and within a decade the Society published ten books. Walker remained president until his death in 1924. He was succeeded by a series of scholars, but on occasion the Society has been led by non-academics. The Society's focus was to publish scholarly editions of primary sources on exploratory voyages undertaken by individuals in Canada. Since then, its interests have broadened to include collections of letters on science, foreign policy, political affairs, governors general, aspects of business history and
2116-464: Was to collect 500 members (half individuals and half libraries) that would each contribute $ 10 and receive two books per year. Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier became a member. Professor George Wrong and the publications committee drew up a list of potential publications. By the close of 2005, the Society had published 101 books and was the oldest society of its kind in Canada. The translators’ quarrels over translation, interpretation, and style advanced as
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