Sources and History

Historians are keepers of past knowledge. Each research is plenty of critical work and analysis that lead them to conclusions about our amazing past. This interesting travel through time starts with the primary sources, the raw materials that historians work with and ends with the books, expositions, etc, (the secondary sources), that historians write and develop. For having a global idea, historians use not only a wide range of primary sources, but also take into account to the work done by others historians.

As a review of the concepts, here there are some examples of primary sources about a person's life:

Now, time to transform into an historian. Analyze the document below, from the UK National Archives on "Victorian children in trouble with the law", and answer the questions:

Joseph Lewis. (Fuente: The National Archives)

Note: Transcription:

-   stg = stealing

-   1 Cal(endar) Mo(nth) H(ard) L(abour) 

1.-. Elaborate a description of Joseph Lewis

2.-. What crime did he commit?

3.-. Which one was the sentence?

4.-. Was it the first crime of Joseph Lewis?

5.-. What can you deduce about the prison system in England in 1873 from this resource?

6.-. What other sources might we use to learn more about Joseph Lewis and to contrast the information?

For learning more about Victorian children in trouble you can do the activities of the National Archives: "Victorian children in trouble with the law"