Source Preview Activity
The photograph above shows a scene in 1884, as the old court house is being torn down. Would this be a primary or secondary source? What do you see in the photograph? What conclusions about the past could you draw from this photograph? How could you find out what this area looks like today?
Source: Columbus Metropolitan Library
CHAPTER 1. EARLY SETTLEMENTS, 1797-1830
SECTION 1. WHAT IS HISTORY?
EVIDENCE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE
Think about everything you have done in the last 24 hours. Make a list of the activities that come to mind. Fast forward in time to 50 years from now. Will anyone know about the activities you listed? The answer depends on what kind of evidence (proof) you leave behind. This evidence might be a photograph, video, written record, or artifact. If there is evidence, how long do you think it will last? If the event was really important, you might try to keep it for a long time. But you can't keep everything. This evidence may be lost or destroyed over time. This activity shows why it is challenging to study the past. We only know about events that leave evidence behind. For some events, we have lots of evidence to read and study. For events that happened many decades or centuries ago, there may be very little evidence.
HISTORY: THE STUDY OF THE PAST
History is the study of the past. The past itself is gone. But, just like the activities in your life, events from the past sometimes leave evidence that lasts for a long time. Historians want to know what happened in the past. Historians are like detectives. To draw conclusions about the past, historians investigate the evidence left behind. They ask questions about who, what, where, when and why events happened. Historians also focus change over time. They want to know what has stayed the same from one period to the next, what causes things to change, and the effects of change over time.
To study change over time, it is important to understand cause and effect. A cause is a reason why an event happens. An effect is a result (consequence) of an event. If you turn on the water faucet, water will come out, and go down the drain (or fill the sink). Your action of turning on the water faucet is the cause of the water coming out. Water going down the drain (or filling the sink) is an effect. In history, cause and effect are more challenging. There are usually many causes and effects of events in the past.
Chronology is also important to historians. Chronology means time order, or sequence order. To understand cause and effect, historians must first know the chronology of events. A cause of an event must happen before the event. An effect happens after an event. Sometimes causes and effects may be close in time, even in the same year. Other times, causes may be separated by many years, such as a decade (10 years) or even a century (100 years). A timeline is one way to show chronology. On a timeline, the distance between the events depends on how much time has passed between the two events. The timeline below shows some important events you learn about in Columbus history.
To study change over time, it is important to understand cause and effect. A cause is a reason why an event happens. An effect is a result (consequence) of an event. If you turn on the water faucet, water will come out, and go down the drain (or fill the sink). Your action of turning on the water faucet is the cause of the water coming out. Water going down the drain (or filling the sink) is an effect. In history, cause and effect are more challenging. There are usually many causes and effects of events in the past.
Chronology is also important to historians. Chronology means time order, or sequence order. To understand cause and effect, historians must first know the chronology of events. A cause of an event must happen before the event. An effect happens after an event. Sometimes causes and effects may be close in time, even in the same year. Other times, causes may be separated by many years, such as a decade (10 years) or even a century (100 years). A timeline is one way to show chronology. On a timeline, the distance between the events depends on how much time has passed between the two events. The timeline below shows some important events you learn about in Columbus history.
Timeline Activity
Which two events on the timeline happened closest in time to each other? Why is there so much space between "Columbus becomes the capital of Ohio" and "National Road completed through Columbus"? How much time passed between these two events? How does understanding chronology help us learn causes and effects?
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES
Historians use two types of sources to find evidence: primary sources and secondary sources. Primary sources are first-hand accounts or records that come from the time period you are studying. Photographs, newspapers, speeches, letters, diaries, and artifacts are examples of primary sources. Secondary sources are later accounts written by historians who were not present at the events. These accounts of the past include textbooks, articles, websites, museum exhibits, and documentary videos.
Click here to watch a video about the difference between primary and secondary sources.
Click here to watch a video about the difference between primary and secondary sources.
Critical Thinking Questions
Suppose you wanted to learn more about the history of your school. What are some examples of primary sources you might find? If you studied these primary sources and wrote a summary, what kind of source would that summary be?