APPARMSQ
Author: Who created the source? What do you know about the author's background?
The author of this source is Sheldon Shufelt. He was born in 1818 and sailed out of New York in 1849. He lived in California and mined in the Gold Rush. He was captured by Spanish bandits while crossing the Panama isthmus. He was confined and held for ransom. He managed to escape and made his way home but he contracted a tropical disease from which he died in 1852 at the age of 34.
Place and Time: When and where was this written/said? How might Place and Time affect the meaning of the source?
This diary was written from 1849 and into his days of mining in the Gold Rush. He started writing when he was on the ship going to New York and he wrote while he was in California. The time and place affect the meaning of the source because the way life was in California in that time was way different then what it was like anywhere else.
Prior Knowledge: What do you know about this topic that would help you further understand this primary source?
The Gold Rush was a very important time in American history. It was one of the main reasons people migrated West, becoming the biggest mass migration to ever happen in US history. It was a very hard time for the people who live in it though, because there were so many people and it was very hard to get gold and overall was not a success for most people.
Audience: Who is the intended audience of this source? How might the source be different if the audience was different?
The Audience was intended to be anyone who wants to know more about what it is like to go to California and live in that time and work for the gold.
Reason: Why was this source produced at the time it was produced? What is its purpose?
The reason was that he could get the idea out to people about what it is like to live in the gold rush of 1849. It was also his diary so maybe he wrote it for his own entertainment.
Main Idea: Summarize the author's key point. What is the main message of this source?
The main message of this source was that it is really hard traveling to California and it stays hard and you have to work hard to get there and it is very difficult to live in that time.
Significance: How important is this source? Why? Ask yourself "so what?" Does this source matter to us today? If so. why?
It is important because he is recalling what happened to him and his specific situation and travel to California.
Questions: What questions do I still have about this source?
Did the author of this diary ever strike it rich? Was it worth it?
Primary source: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pfcaliforniagoldrush.htm
"I have left those that I love as my own life behind and risked everything and endured many hardships to get here. I want to make enough to live easier and do some good with, before I return." - Sheldon Shufelt, 1848
The author of this source is Sheldon Shufelt. He was born in 1818 and sailed out of New York in 1849. He lived in California and mined in the Gold Rush. He was captured by Spanish bandits while crossing the Panama isthmus. He was confined and held for ransom. He managed to escape and made his way home but he contracted a tropical disease from which he died in 1852 at the age of 34.
Place and Time: When and where was this written/said? How might Place and Time affect the meaning of the source?
This diary was written from 1849 and into his days of mining in the Gold Rush. He started writing when he was on the ship going to New York and he wrote while he was in California. The time and place affect the meaning of the source because the way life was in California in that time was way different then what it was like anywhere else.
Prior Knowledge: What do you know about this topic that would help you further understand this primary source?
The Gold Rush was a very important time in American history. It was one of the main reasons people migrated West, becoming the biggest mass migration to ever happen in US history. It was a very hard time for the people who live in it though, because there were so many people and it was very hard to get gold and overall was not a success for most people.
Audience: Who is the intended audience of this source? How might the source be different if the audience was different?
The Audience was intended to be anyone who wants to know more about what it is like to go to California and live in that time and work for the gold.
Reason: Why was this source produced at the time it was produced? What is its purpose?
The reason was that he could get the idea out to people about what it is like to live in the gold rush of 1849. It was also his diary so maybe he wrote it for his own entertainment.
Main Idea: Summarize the author's key point. What is the main message of this source?
The main message of this source was that it is really hard traveling to California and it stays hard and you have to work hard to get there and it is very difficult to live in that time.
Significance: How important is this source? Why? Ask yourself "so what?" Does this source matter to us today? If so. why?
It is important because he is recalling what happened to him and his specific situation and travel to California.
Questions: What questions do I still have about this source?
Did the author of this diary ever strike it rich? Was it worth it?
Primary source: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pfcaliforniagoldrush.htm
"I have left those that I love as my own life behind and risked everything and endured many hardships to get here. I want to make enough to live easier and do some good with, before I return." - Sheldon Shufelt, 1848