Is the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass a true primary source even though it was republished?
Ive been reading the unabridged Dover republication of 1995, and Im not sure if it is still a primary source since it was republished?
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Yes, Frederick Douglass's autobiography is definitely a primary source, regardless of when the actual book you have was published. A primary source is simply one created by a person with first-hand knowledge of the events and times described and which was created at or near the time in question.
Of course, Douglass had first-hand knowledge of his own life. As for the time element, his autobiography was, of course, not written during his childhood or his days as a slave. However, it was still close enough in time to those events for it to qualify.
The date of publication is not relevant to whether something is a primary source. What matters is who wrote it and when.
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