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Historical Source Analysis

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Historical Source Analysis

Read each source closely. Use details from the sources to identify their type, compare perspectives and judge what they can—and cannot—tell us about the past.

A Port City in 1854

These fictional sources are based on the kinds of evidence historians study. Source A is a private letter; Source B is a newspaper report. Read both before answering.

1.SOURCE A — Private letter, 12 June 1854 Dear Eliza, The ship from England came in today, crowded with families hoping to find work. At the wharf, I counted more than thirty people waiting for rooms. My brother says the goldfields are the reason so many have arrived. I cannot know how many will stay, but the streets seem busier each week. The price of flour has risen again, which makes life harder for families like ours. What type of historical source is Source A?

2.SOURCE B — Newspaper report, 14 June 1854 ARRIVALS BRING NEW ENERGY TO THE PORT The latest ship from England has brought many hopeful newcomers. Local businesses expect the growing population to create more customers and opportunities. Officials say the port is managing the arrivals well. Some residents, however, report crowded streets and rising prices. What type of historical source is Source B? Name one clue that helps identify it.

3.Which detail appears in both Source A and Source B?

The port has received newcomers from England.
Flour prices have fallen.
Every newcomer plans to travel to the goldfields.
Officials have closed the port.

4.Give one piece of information Source A provides about the writer’s experience, and one piece Source B provides about how officials or businesses viewed the arrivals.

5.Who most likely created Source A, and who created Source B? Use evidence from each source to support your answer.

6.Which source gives a more personal view of the effect of arrivals on everyday life? Explain using one detail.

7.Source A says the writer’s brother believes the goldfields explain the arrivals. Is this direct evidence that every newcomer came for gold? Explain.

8.A historian wants to investigate whether the population of the port really increased in 1854. How useful is Source A for answering this question, and what evidence would help check it?

9.The newspaper says officials considered the port well managed, while the letter mentions crowded streets and rising prices. Give one reason the sources might present different impressions.

10.Write one useful question a historian could investigate next to learn more about how newcomers affected the port city. Say what kind of source might help answer it.