1) Evening Post, March 19 , 1829- This is an example of a primary source. Anbinder uses this source for its factual relevance and accuracy to the account he is writing about. An important attribute of a primary source is how long after the event the source is written. The longer one waits to write an account, the more distorted and less credible the source becomes. Newspaper articles, again according to the dates written in relation to the event, are excellent primary sources.
2) Mr. Gill to Mr. Russell , February 25, 1847, in IUP-BPP, Famine, 7: 550; Bennett, Narrative of a Recent Journey of Six Weeks in Ireland, 132.- According to Anbinder’s citation of this source, it is considered a primary source. All first hand accounts of an event reported by eyewitnesses or reports by those who experienced the actual event are very accurate. All sources’ credibility are in relation to the time after the event. For example, if I was robbed but interviewed years after the experience without writing down what I saw and experienced, I could very well leave out vital information or even provide incorrect characteristics of the assailant.
3) Gilje, Road to Mobocracy, 140- 41; Diary of Philip Hone, 122.- The source used here is a diary account of Philip Hone. Diary accounts are considered primary sources because they are first hand accounts of the event written very soon, if not right after the event takes place. This, in turn, keeps the credibility of the document in tact for years to come. It is important to always date and mark diary accounts very specifically with permanent ink to ensure this vital information from fading. Using diary accounts like this help to make Anbinder’s writing more believable and credible because of where he received his information and resources.