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DOCUMENT 1 Edited extract from Gerard Keegan’s Famine Diary, 1847 - Junior Cycle History - Question a - 2018
Question a
DOCUMENT 1 Edited extract from Gerard Keegan’s Famine Diary, 1847. April 9. We sailed at daybreak this morning. Our ship, the Naparima, with estimated accommodation... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:DOCUMENT 1 Edited extract from Gerard Keegan’s Famine Diary, 1847 - Junior Cycle History - Question a - 2018
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What were conditions like on board the Naparima? Give two examples.
Answer
Conditions on board the Naparima were harsh. First, there was no place for half of the passengers to bed down for the night; they were forced to rest on bundles and chests on the floor of the steerage quarters. Second, the holds of the ship were dark and cavernous, fitted with narrow moveable bunks, and there were no lights, no portholes, and no ventilation.
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What evidence suggests that the rules and regulations were not being followed?
Answer
The evidence of overcrowding on the Naparima suggests that the rules and regulations regarding passenger space were not being followed, as the legal allowance is thirty-three inches in width for each passenger, but the ship could accommodate only half of that.
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Diaries, such as this one from Gerard Keegan, are useful to historians. Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using diaries as historical sources.
Answer
One advantage of using diaries as historical sources is that they provide a personal and direct account of events, offering insights into the experiences and thoughts of individuals at the time. A disadvantage is that they may reflect personal bias, leading to a subjective interpretation of events rather than an objective account.