Primary Source Analysis: Historical Timelines
Source 1: Paul Revere's Ride Account (1775)
"On the evening of April 18, 1775, I received a message that the British soldiers were marching. I rode through the night from Boston to Lexington, warning the colonists: 'The Regulars are coming!' This caused the minutemen to prepare for battle."
— Based on Paul Revere's account
1. What is the CAUSE in this account?
A) Paul Revere rode through the night
B) British soldiers were marching
C) Minutemen prepared for battle
D) It was evening
Answer
B) British soldiers were marching - The British march caused Revere to ride and warn others.
2. What was the EFFECT of Revere's ride?
A) The British soldiers marched
B) It became evening
C) The minutemen prepared for battle
D) Boston was founded
Answer
C) The minutemen prepared for battle - Revere's warning helped them get ready.
3. When did this event happen?
A) 1776
B) 1492
C) 1775
D) 1607
Answer
C) 1775 - April 18, 1775, just before the start of the Revolutionary War.
Source 2: Newspaper Report on the Transcontinental Railroad (1869)
"May 10, 1869 — History was made today at Promontory Summit, Utah. The final golden spike was driven, connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. Therefore, our great nation is now linked from coast to coast! Travel that once took six months by wagon will now take just six days by train."
4. What signal word shows cause and effect?
A) History
B) Therefore
C) Coast
D) Golden
Answer
B) Therefore - "Therefore" shows that the railroad completion caused the nation to be connected.
5. What was the EFFECT of completing the railroad?
A) Wagons were invented
B) Utah was discovered
C) Cross-country travel became much faster
D) Gold was found
Answer
C) Cross-country travel became much faster - Six months became six days!
6. On a timeline, would this event come BEFORE or AFTER 1776?
A) Before
B) After
C) At the same time
D) Cannot tell
Answer
B) After - 1869 is 93 years after 1776.
Source 3: Letter from a Gold Rush Miner (1849)
"Dear Family, Because gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill last year, I have traveled all the way from Ohio to California. The journey was difficult, but I hope to find my fortune. As a result of the gold rush, this small town is now crowded with thousands of hopeful miners like myself."
7. What CAUSED the miner to travel to California?
A) He wanted to visit family
B) Gold was discovered
C) Ohio was crowded
D) California had nice weather
Answer
B) Gold was discovered - "Because gold was discovered" tells us the cause.
8. What words signal cause and effect in this source?
A) "Dear Family"
B) "Because" and "As a result"
C) "Dear" and "California"
D) "Gold" and "fortune"
Answer
B) "Because" and "As a result" - Both phrases signal cause and effect.
9. This letter was written in which year?
A) 1776
B) 1849
C) 1869
D) 1900
Answer
B) 1849 - Gold was discovered in 1848, so miners rushed there in 1849 (the "49ers").
10. Put these events in order: Gold Rush (1849), Railroad (1869), Paul Revere (1775)
A) Railroad, Gold Rush, Paul Revere
B) Paul Revere, Gold Rush, Railroad
C) Gold Rush, Paul Revere, Railroad
D) Paul Revere, Railroad, Gold Rush
Answer
B) Paul Revere, Gold Rush, Railroad - 1775 comes before 1849, which comes before 1869.
Next Steps
- Look for cause and effect in history books
- Create a timeline of events from these primary sources
- Continue to Claim-Evidence Writing