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.
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 Faith in religion had fallen because the prayers of the people were not answered. The people even thought that it was god whom had unleashed this deadly disease. One piece of evidence that I used stated,” Some felt that the wrath of God was descending upon man, and so fought the plague with player (Document 6).” Another piece of evidence stated,” Faith in religion decreased after the plague, both because of the death of so many of the clergy and because of the failure of prayer to prevent sickness and death (Document 6).”
Secondary sources of literature are primarily written by journalists and does not report an original finding, but rather relies on an original source to provide information that can be used as background material. To use it correctly, one must first distinguish it from primary sources and understand that secondary sources alone cannot sufficiently and
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.
To collect my information I used a variety of sources and methods. These consisted of:
The Black Death is one of the deadliest epidemics to ever hit mankind. It is estimated that this epidemic killed nearly 30%-60% of the population depending on the location. Recently, scholars have argued over the existence of the Black Death as a Plague in the form of Yersinia Pestis. Many argue, through scientific research and primary sources, that the Black Death was indeed a plague. Their critics argue that there is not enough evidence in the correlation of the scientific research and the primary sources to conclude that the Black Death was really a plague. The primary source The Black Death, by Rosemary Horrox, is a compilation of different accounts of the plague throughout Europe in the 1300’s. The two modern sources Plague Historians
Primary Source Analysis 2 / Chapter 7: Travelers’ Tales and Observations (Sources 7.1 / 7.2)
...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.
No other epidemic reaches the level of the Black Death which took place from 1348 to 1350. The epidemic, better regarded as a pandemic, shook Europe, Asia, and North Africa; therefore it deems as the one of the most devastating events in world history. In The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350, John Aberth, compiles primary sources in order to examine the origins and outcomes of this deadly disease. The author, a history professor and associate academic dean at Vermont’s Castleton State College, specializes in medieval history and the Black Death. He wrote the book in order to provide multiple perspectives of the plague’s impact. Primarily, pathogens started the whole phenomenon; however, geological, economic, and social conditions
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.
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.
The Black Death plague 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.
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...
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