Once you do your preliminary research and understand the background of your topic, including the key people, places, events, and dates involved, you can start to think about finding primary sources. Ask yourself:
- What kind of information am I seeking? (Public, private, personal?)
- What documents would have been creating during this event? (Government documents, newspapers, diaries?)
- Which perspective am I looking for? (Civilian, soldier, general, president, enemy?)
When you can imagine what sorts of sources will meet your needs, you can start looking for them.