From: MikesJive@excite.com
Date: 1/19/00
Time: 11:42:31 PM
Remote Name: 155.247.158.40
Michael Pilla
1-19-00
William Cutler Week One
- What makes a primary source more or less reliable? What makes them reliable could be the fact that some primary sources were documented, showing that they were of importance and worthing of being published. Some of these primary sources could include, court decisions and magazine and newspaper articles. Photographs are also reliable pictorials, showing people, places or things from our past. Possibly giving an accurate description of past political figures or elaborate descriptions of monuments or public landmarks. Needless to say, what was once covered in a newspaper article or became the final decision of a court case, could have been based on a bias reporter or judge. So the accuracy, at any cost, is jeopardized and the reader is not sure what the exact “truth” is. Historians must look on history through tests of accuracy…judging the source on its possible bias and the time and place of the events to see when compared to other historians if it’s historically accurate. - To what extent is history based on fact and or opinion? In my opinion, most of history is based on opinions. Whether it be court cases, newspaper and magazine articles, journals, novels, or letters; these are peoples thoughts put onto paper, recorded, and voicing their points of views. There are plenty of facts in history though. Just as those newspaper journalists maybe voicing their opinions, the dates, times, places, and people accounted for are all factual information they may list in their articles. Legal documents, court cases, photographs, and magazine articles also help to show dates and such that are factual information from our past.