There are ways you can tell the difference between a primary and secondary source. A primary
source is an eyewitness account during the time in which it was written. Some examples of primary
sources are Night by Elie Wiesel and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Primary sources
can also include speeches, footage and interviews. A secondary source is a document or record of
an event that interprets and analyzes the event after it has past in history. An example is the
Decameron written by the Italian poet Giovanni Boccaccio. The Decameron was a collection of
stories that was completed in 1353. Boccaccio described the epidemic, called the Black Death.
These three different sources regarding the Black Death that plagued
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The reader is not influenced by theories, religious views or personal feelings. It does not
comment on the reactions or actions of those touched by this illness. It allows readers of this
account to form their own opinions of the events surrounding the Black Death. The only discrepancy regarding the three sources was the how long the Black Death lasted in
the first source. The first source claims that the Black Death lasted between March to September of
1348. However, the other sources claim it lasted longer. In the secondary source, it is mentioned
that the plague may have even started before March 1348, by reaching Europe in 1346. It claims it
reappeared in 1349 before subsiding in 1351. The third source does not mention any dates at all.
I believe that the secondary source was the most accurate and interesting because it supplied
statistical information about the decrease in population in different parts of the world. It provided
accounts of the symptoms of the disease which included swelling of the armpits and groin,
coughing, and high fevers. Similar symptoms were found in people in different countries. It told
of the plague's effect on the economy, especially in wool production since the outbreak reached
When it comes to learning about events and people in history, nothing beats a primary source. There is information directly from the event and there are no worries about incorrect data because the author was there to witness said event. But the main problem with primary sources is the fact that it only covers part of the story. So if a book is written about, say, the concentration camps of World War II, then all that it would be about would be that persons view of the camps, not what was happening during the actually war. This is where secondary sources come in. Secondary sources are written by authors who were not involved in the event, but rather did research on said event and wrote a novel covering what they believe to be all important aspects. Secondary sources are helpful when wanting to know more than just one aspect of an event, for example, you can know what was happening with the ally powers and axis powers, rather than just one or the other. Despite not being involved in the events, secondary sources still tend to contain bias. This essay will cover the bias of the novel Over Here: How the G.I. Bill Transformed the American Dream, by Edward Humes and how this either helped to prove or disprove his thesis.
(newspaper, map, image, report, Congressional record, etc.) This document is a newspaper article from World’s Work. 3. Is it a primary or secondary source?
One effect that the Black Death had on Medieval Europe was that the economy had fallen. (FELL)The economy had taken a blow because of the fact that most of the workers had either died, or ran away from their lords and manors. One piece of evidence stated, “As the plague kept occurring in the late 1300s, the European economy sank to a new low (Document 9).” Another piece of evidence states,” In the second half of the 14th century, a man could simply up and leave a manor, secure in the knowledge that
It has now been scientifically proven that the Black Plague had first originated from arid plains of centra...
To collect my information I used a variety of sources and methods. These consisted of:
...a known source but usually the source is obvious. Lastly, black leaflets have a stated source which, however, is false. For example, the Allies invented non-existent anti-Nazi groups in Germany. On these leaflets Allied powers printed false information that attempted to challenge Hitler and the Nazis in attempt to lead others into rebellion.
Gottfried, Robert S. The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe. New York:
In 1339 in Northwestern Europe, the population was beginning to outgrow the food supply and a severe economic disaster began to take place. The winters were extremely cold and the summers were dry. Due to this extreme weather, very low crops grew and those that grew were dying. Inflation became a common and as famine broke out, people began to worry. The time period between 1339 to 1346 is now known as the famine before the plague. These seven bad years of weather and famine lead to the greatest plague of all times. In 1347, endemic to Asia, The Black Death began spreading throughout Western Europe. The plague lead to one third of Europe dead. The Black Death killed more Europeans than any other endemic or war up to that time. All resulting from a tiny insect (“Black Death”).
globally spread. The symptoms of this illness are quite defined and are very recognizable. Cause
Therefore, the responses of Christians and Muslims to the Black Death greatly differed from each other. Responses to this calamity are different because of faith and world perspectives. Both thinking that it was their God’s will, they accepted it, but thought it was brought upon them for varying reasons. Of course, nowadays, doctors and scientist know it is from bacterial strain, and with the increasingly advanced technology, it will hopefully be prevented if another outbreak ever occurs again.
For my third source I used information from a book rather than a journal or a book review so I could get different information on the topic.
The Black Death plagues had disastrous consequences for Europe in the 14th century. After the initial outbreak in Europe, 1347, it continued for around five years and then mysteriously disappeared. However it broke out again in the 1360s and every few decades thereafter till around 1700. The European epidemic was an outbreak of the bubonic plague, which began in Asia and spread across trade routes. When it reached Europe, a path of destruction began to emerge. Medieval society was tossed into disarray, economies were fractured, the face of culture and religion changed forever. However the plagues devastation was not all chaotic, there were benefits too, such as modern labour movements, improvements in medicine and a new outlook on life. Therefore in order to analyse the impact the Black Death had on societies in the 14th century, this essay will consider the social, economic, cultural and religious factors in order to reach an overall conclusion.
Majority of Today’s Historians and scientist will tell you that the Bubonic Plague started through rats and other rodents, when really a flea has fed off of an infected rat, which is transferred to a human’s bloodstream through the blood sucking transaction. Many Europeans believed the Plague is the raft of god for wrong-doing. The Bubonic Plague is actual...
Primary Source Analysis 2 / Chapter 7: Travelers’ Tales and Observations (Sources 7.1 / 7.2)
Comparing Two Sources There are disagreements and agreements between source A and source B. Source A was from a report written by a journalist Humphrey Tyler, who worked for a South African magazine. The report was written later on the same day that the shooting occurred. Source B was from an English newspaper, published the day after the shooting. Source A and source B both agree and disagree with each other over different things.