1. The new Higher History Section 1 Source Handling
THE SOURCE COMPARISON QUESTION

2. The source comparison question (5 marks)
Compare the views of Sources A and B on…
Compare the content overall and in detail.
up to 4 marks can be given for comparisons of detail. 1 mark will be awarded for each point of comparison which is supported by specific references to each source. 4 marks for 4 direct comparisons.
Up to 2 marks can be given for an overall comparison. 1 mark can be given for an overall comparison supported by specific references to the viewpoint of each source. A second mark can be given for a development of the overall comparison.
(DO THIS LAST)

3. PROCESS – HOW TO ANSWER Always read both sources quickly first.
On 2nd reading start to underline and HIGHLIGHT points of comparison on the sources themselves- number them .
Only once you have identified 4 points of comparison( can be agreement or disagreement/or a mixture of both) are you ready to WRITE YOUR ANSWER.

4. Example 1- From Politics Questions
Source D: from “The Strike Bulletin”, February 1st The strikers were being addressed by the Strike Committee until their leaders returned from meeting the Lord Provost. The strike leaders were kept waiting in the City Chambers and the police were ordered to draw their batons and forcibly disperse the crowd waiting in George Square. On hearing the sounds of conflict the strike leaders rushed out to help restore order with Willie Gallacher (of the Clyde Workers’ Committee) urging the crowd to disperse peacefully. But, instead of listening, the police made an attack on them and Davie Kirkwood (of the Clyde Workers’ Committee) was thrown to the ground. The outrage looks like a prearranged affair with the attack on the strikers being deliberately planned and ordered. The government, afraid to do their own dirty work, employed the police to do it for them. This was sheer brutality by the police and January 31st 1919 will be known in Glasgow as Bloody Friday. Source E from William Ferguson “Scotland 1689 to the Present” (1968). The violence was touched off by the outnumbered and understandably nervous police who charged with batons raised to try to clear the tramlines. It continued with blows landing indiscriminately on both strikers and curious bystanders. Gallacher’s horrified reaction was to try to get the crowd to disperse. Kirkwood was trying to pacify the crowd when he was beaten to the ground by police truncheons. He was later able to provide photographic evidence of this and was found not guilty while William Gallacher and Emanuel Shinwell were each sentenced to five months imprisonment for “incitement to riot”. However, the “riot” in George Square was not planned; the situation was simply misread and violence erupted, but not because of a revolutionary plot. Thousands of people had been brought together through fears of unemployment and high prices but the government, plagued by fears of communism, seems to have taken the possibility of revolution seriously Compare the views of Sources A and B about the events of Red Clydeside. 5

5. Highlighting 4 comparisons
Source D: from “The Strike Bulletin”, February 1st 1919.
The strikers were being addressed by the Strike Committee until their leaders returned from meeting the Lord Provost. The strike leaders were kept waiting in the City Chambers and the police were ordered to draw their batons and forcibly disperse the crowd waiting in George Square.(1)On hearing the sounds of conflict the strike leaders rushed out to help restore order with Willie Gallacher (of the Clyde Workers’ Committee) urging the crowd to disperse peacefully(2) But, instead of listening, the police made an attack on them and Davie Kirkwood (of the Clyde Workers’ Committee) was thrown to the ground(3). The outrage looks like a prearranged affair with the attack on the strikers being deliberately planned and ordered. (4)The government, afraid to do their own dirty work, employed the police to do it for them. This was sheer brutality by the police and January 31st will be known in Glasgow as Bloody Friday.
Source E from William Ferguson “Scotland 1689 to the Present” (1968).
The violence was touched off by the outnumbered and understandably nervous police who charged with batons raised to try to clear the tramlines.(2) It continued with blows landing indiscriminately on both strikers and curious bystanders. Gallacher’s horrified reaction was to try to get the crowd to disperse. (2)Kirkwood was trying to pacify the crowd when he was beaten to the ground by police truncheons.(3) He was later able to provide photographic evidence of this and was found not guilty while William Gallacher and Emanuel Shinwell were each sentenced to five months imprisonment for “incitement to riot”. However, the “riot” in George Square was not planned; the situation was simply misread and violence erupted,(4) but not because of a revolutionary plot. Thousands of people had been brought together through fears of unemployment and high prices but the government, plagued by fears of communism, seems to have taken the possibility of revolution seriously

6. GO STRAIGHT INTO DIRECT COMPARISON ( NUMBER 1)
Sources A and B are in agreement about the fact that the police attacked the crowds using batons. Source A says “The Police were ordered to draw their weaons and forcibly disperse the crowd.” Source B agrees when it says
“ The outnumbered and nervous police charged with batons raised to try to clear the tramlines.”(1 mark for a point of comparison supported by a specific reference to each source)
DO THIS 3 MORE TIMES- TAKE A NEW PARAGRAPH FOR EACH COMPARISON.

7. The sources are also in agreement about the role of the strike leaders in trying to peacefully disperse the crowd. We see this in Source A when it tells us that “Willie Gallacher of the CWC urged the crowd to disperse.” Source B agrees by stating that “ Gallacher’s horrified reaction was to try to get the crowd to disperse.”(1 mark for a point of comparison supported by a specific reference to each source)
The sources also agree about the fact that Davie Kirkwood was attacked by police. Source A tells us he was “thrown to the ground” Source B is an agreement when it desscribes how Kirkwood was “ beaten to the ground by police truncheons.(1 mark for a point of comparison supported by a specific reference to each source)
However, the sources disagree about whether the government planned to attack the strikers. Source A explains that “The outrage looks like a pre-arranged affair with an attack on the strikers being deliberately planned and ordered.” Whereas Source B is of the opinion that the riot was not planned and the situation was simply misread...” (1 mark for a point of comparison supported by a specific reference to each source)

8. Now Write Your Overall Comparison
Comparing the content overall
What is the main viewpoint in both sources?
Is there both agreement and disagreement?
Sample structures:
Overall both sources agree that ……………………………………..
Source A suggests that………………………………………………..
However Source B suggests that……………………………………. OR
Overall both sources share the view that…………………………….
Source A emphasises ………………………………………………....
Source B disagrees slightly by highlighting………………………….

9. Overall Comparison
Overall Sources A and B mostly agree about the actual events which took place on Red Clydeside In They are in agreement about the efforts of the CWC in trying to disperse the crowds peacefully and that the did not listen but instead responded with violence- (1 mark for an overall comparison) However whilst Source A believes that the police intended to attack the strikers in this manner Source B is more balanced and believed that they did not intend to react like this and had merely misread situation (a second mark for developing the overall comparison)

10. Example 2- From Specimen Paper
Source C: from Richard J. Finlay, Controlling the Past: Scottish Historiography and Scottish Identity in the 19th and 20th Centuries (1994).
Scottish national identity suffered a crisis in the inter-war period as the foundations of Scottish confidence were shaken by the impact of post-war disruption. The Empire was drifting apart; economic difficulties ended the idea that Scotland was the “workshop of the Empire”. Increased emigration to the colonies was seen as a response to the lack of social and economic opportunities. The role of the Church was reduced as religion had less influence on society and the terrible social conditions and slums painted a very different picture of the nation. Politicians and intellectuals debated the “end of Scotland” and it seemed that the nation was in terminal decline. For many, history was all Scotland had left to prove her nationality and it had to be readapted to suit the changed circumstances.
Source D: from Trevor Royle, The Flowers of the Forest: Scotland and the First World War (2006).
In the period since the war ended, the story in Scotland had been one of general decline and a gradual collapse in confidence. Between 1921 and 1923, the number of ships being built on the Clyde dropped. Other heavy industries also suffered and coal production fell. Lloyd George had promised “homes fit for heroes”, but all too often returning soldiers were forced to put up with cramped and unhealthy housing conditions. In the 1920s the number of Scots moving abroad had reached a new high of 555,000 due to the lack of jobs. In a census carried out by the Board of Agriculture showed that there was a sharp reduction in the number of people working on the land.
Compare the views of Sources C and D about the crisis in Scottish identity that developed after Compare the sources overall and in detail marks

11. Highlighting 4 comparisons
Source C: from Richard J. Finlay, Controlling the Past: Scottish Historiography and Scottish Identity in the 19th and 20th Centuries (1994).
Scottish national identity suffered a crisis in the inter-war period as the foundations of Scottish confidence were shaken by the impact of post-war disruption.(4) The Empire was drifting apart; economic difficulties ended the idea that Scotland was the “workshop of the Empire”. (1)Increased emigration to the colonies was seen as a response to the lack of social and economic opportunities. (2)The role of the Church was reduced as religion had less influence on society and the terrible social conditions and slums painted a very different picture of the nation. (3)Politicians and intellectuals debated the “end of Scotland” and it seemed that the nation was in terminal decline. For many, history was all Scotland had left to prove her nationality and it had to be readapted to suit the changed circumstances.
Source D: from Trevor Royle, The Flowers of the Forest: Scotland and the First World War (2006).
In the period since the war ended, the story in Scotland had been one of general decline and a gradual collapse in confidence.(4) Between 1921 and 1923, the number of ships being built on the Clyde dropped. Other heavy industries also suffered and coal production fell. (1)Lloyd George had promised “homes fit for heroes”, but all too often returning soldiers were forced to put up with cramped and unhealthy housing conditions.(3) In the 1920s the number of Scots moving abroad had reached a new high of 555,000 due to the lack of jobs. (2)In 1921 a census carried out by the Board of Agriculture showed that there was a sharp reduction in the number of people working on the land.

12. Example 2. Detailed Comparisons
Both sources agree that Scotland suffered from major economic difficulties after WW1. This is clear in Source C when it says “ Economic difficulties ended the idea that Scotland was the workshop of the Empire” Source D clearly agrees in this decline when it says, “Between 1921 and 1923 the number of ships being built on the Clyde dropped and other heavy industries also suffered and coal production fell.” .(1 mark for a point of comparison supported by a specific reference to each source)
Another point of agreement between the sources is that many people emigrated fom Scotland due to this economic and social decline. Source C states that “increased Emigration to the Colonies was seen as a response to the lack of social and economic opportunities.” Source D agrees that “in the 1920’s emigration had reached a new high of 550,000 due to the lack of jobs in Scotland.” (1 mark for a point of comparison supported by a specific reference to each source)

13. Detailed Comparisons Cont
Another point of agreement is that the people of Scotland after WW1 were still living in overcrowded and poor housing conditions. Source C talks of the “ terrible social conditions and slums.” Souce D agrees that “all too often, returning soldiers were forced to put up with cramped and unhealthy housing conditions.” .”(1 mark for a point of comparison supported by a specific reference to each source)
Finally the sources agree about the crisis and lack of confidence and in Scottish identity. Source C points out that “The foundations of Scottish confidence were shaken by the impact of post-war disruption.” Source D also speaks about a “gradual collapse of confidence.” .(1 mark for a point of comparison supported by a specific reference to each source)

14. Overall Comparison
Overall, Sources C and D broadly agree about the crisis in Scottish confidence that developed after agreeing on the economic difficulties , increased emigration and poor housing. (1 mark for an overall comparison) However Source C focuses more on a crisis of Scottish NATIONAL identity whereas Source D highlights the ECONOMIC decline of the nation. (a second mark for developing the overall comparison)