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Historians use written, oral and visual sources to develop and support their interpretations of historical events. The historical discipline divides source materials into two categories: primary sources and secondary sources. Both categories are flexible and depend on the subject and era a historian is investigating.
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Article
The six “Historical Thinking Concepts” were developed by The Historical Thinking Project, which was led by Dr. Peter Seixas of the University of British Columbia and educational expert Jill Colyer. The project identified six key concepts: historical significance, primary source evidence, continuity and change, cause and consequence, historical perspectives and ethical dimensions. Together, these concepts form the basis of historical inquiry. The project was funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and The History Education Network (THEN/HiER). Seixas and Tom Morton published a book, The Big Six: Historical Thinking Concepts, that expanded on these concepts.
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Memory Project Archive
Adam J. Bardach served in the Polish Army during the Second World War. He fought in the Battle of Scapezzano and was awarded the Polish Cross of Valour for his actions there. Read and listen to Adam J. Bardach’s testimony below.Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Adam Levchter served in the Polish Army during the Second World War. His unit was attached to the Canadian Army after landing in Normandy. He fought with the Canadians from Caen to Falaise and eventually settled in Canada after the war.Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Agnes Elizabeth Ward served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Al Bacon served with the Norwegian Merchant Service in the Second World War. Read and listen to Al Bacon’s testimony below. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Al Trotter (1923-2011) served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, under the aegis of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command. He flew 44 operations before his aircraft was shot down in August 1944 and Trotter spent the rest of the war in Europe in German prisoner of war camps. In this excerpt, Trotter discusses the 2 December 1943 bombing mission against Berlin, in which he was part of 101 Squadron, RAF stationed at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire, England. For more on Al Trotter's story, see Leslie Trotter Zwingli and Lt. Colonel Elmer John (Al) Trotter, DFC, DFM, CD, CM (retired), Against the Odds (Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2009). Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Alan Henry Sunley served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Read and listen to Alan Henry Sunley's testimony below. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Albert Donald served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Read and listen to Albert Donald’s testimony below. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
"Gosh, I wonder if it could be possible? So I asked her a question and she says, yes. Well, I said, you’re looking at him. And she started crying. I’m pretty proud about what I did." Albert Joseph Thomas served in the army during the Second World War. See below for Mr. Thomas' entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Mr. Aleksander Bogdan was born in Poland and was deported to Siberia in 1941 where he spent several months in the gulags. Released with thousands of other Polish prisoners, he joined the Polish forces in Russia in March 1942, coming under British command in August that same year when the new Polish Army Corps crossed the Russo-Persian border. He served in the Middle East in 1942 and 1943, then in Italy from March 1944 to March 1945 where he saw action at Monte Cassino and Ancona with the 11th Signals Battalion, Polish II Corps. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Alex Polowin was a Lithuanian-Jewish Canadian who served in the Royal Canadian Navy on HMCS Huron, a Tribal class destroyer. Polowin escorted convoys to Murmasnk to supply the Soviets, hunted down the battleship Scharnhorst, and supported the amphibious invasion of Normandy in 1944. Listen to Polowin describe his motivations for enlisting in the Navy and the operations in which he took part. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
"It was all equal while we were in the army. The big mess up was on discharge." Alex van Bibber served in the army during the Second World War.See below for Mr. van Bibber's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
"That’s for sure, when some of our friends died like that… We would say: “Where is so-and-so?” And they would reply: “You didn’t hear? How come? He died yesterday.”" See below for Mr. Martel's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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Memory Project Archive
Anatole Côté served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Read and listen to Anatole Côté’s testimony below. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
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