To “situate in time” means identifying the correct time markers. A time marker can take the form of:
-
a date (such as a year or century)
-
a historical period (such as Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance)
-
a historical event (such as the discovery of America by Europeans)
Several clues can be found in an image or text. Pay attention to anything that might tell you about the time.
For example, pay attention not just to the document, but also to its title or any other information given. For instance, the publication date of a news article is a useful clue.
There can be a difference between the time when the document was produced and the time the event actually took place. It is important to distinguish between them.
The author of the document may be dealing with an event that is happening or has just ended. This would be the case, for example, with a newspaper article from 1929 that reports the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange or a photograph that shows an event. These documents are primary sources, that is, first-hand sources.
The author of a document might also write about a fact or an event many years after it happened. This would be the case for a historian who analyzes records of the past (primary sources) and then writes a book on the subject. These documents are secondary sources, that is, second-hand sources.
Situating events in time also means classifying them in chronological order or connecting them to a historical period. To do this, keep an eye out for clues that might help you identify these markers and use what you know.
The word starts with chrono. It is a Greek word that means “time.” It is related to Chronos, the personification of time in Greek mythology.
It could be said that, in a way, chronological means in a sense of time. So, placing things in chronological order means putting events in order from the oldest to the most recent.
A chronometer measures time.
You can encounter this intellectual operation in three forms. Here are some short examples to help you understand the different tasks you might encounter.
Start by analyzing the documents and look for any time clues that help you situate the documents in time. Then place them in chronological order on the timeline, from the earliest to the most recent item.
Place documents 1 to 3 in chronological order.
Source: Rejdan, Shutterstock.com
Source: Dmitry_Koshelev, Shutterstock.com
Knowing that the flower comes before the fruit and that you need the fruit to make a cake, the answer looks like this.
If you are not sure about a document, you can leave that one out and focus on the other documents to put them in order. Eliminating possibilities in this way will help you situate a document that is more difficult to analyze.
Statement: Arrange the following documents in chronological order on the timeline.
In this case, the documents are three photographs. There is no date in their source to guide you. The only clues to put these documents in order are in the photos themselves.
Document 1 shows a tablet with what look like pictograms or ideograms on it. Your knowledge tells you that this is an early form of writing.
Document 2 shows letters from the modern Latin alphabet that are used today in Canada and in many other places around the world.
Document 3 shows characters that look very similar to cuneiform writing. Using your knowledge, you know that cuneiform writing developed after ideogram or pictograph writing.
Given that pictograph writing precedes cuneiform writing and that the alphabet we use today is recent, the answer looks like this.
For more information about this task, see the concept sheet The Birth of Writing.
Statement: Indicate the letter that corresponds to the time period for document 1.
This document is a photograph of a cell phone. Since this type of cell phone did not appear until the 21st century, the time period that should be identified is the contemporary period. The correct answer is F.
Statement: To what historical period does this document belong to? Indicate the corresponding letter on the timeline.
Source: Spinner in Vivian Cotton Mills. Been at it 2 years. Where will her good looks be in 10 years? Cherryville, N.C. [Photograph], Hine, L., 1908, National Archives and Records Administration, (URL).
Analyzing the document allows you to connect it to the characteristics of a historical period. In the photograph, we see a woman working on a machine that looks quite old and uses numerous spools (rolls) of thread. The image source has the year 1908 and this is most likely the year the photograph was taken. Knowing that the contemporary period begins in 1789 and extends to the present day, you can conclude that the correct answer is the letter F.
| Previous | Now | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Now | After |
| Previously | Now | Afterwards |
Previously = Before
Afterwards = After
Statement: Place the following documents in the correct place based on whether they come before or after the start of a hockey game.
By analyzing the documents, we can see that document 1 shows two kids getting dressed and putting on their hockey equipment. Players have to get dressed before playing hockey. This would be the first event. Document 2, on the other hand, shows a shower head. Usually, showering comes after a hockey game so this event takes place afterwards.The answer would look like this:
Statement: Classify the following modes of transportation according to whether they were used before or after the combustion engine was developed.
Source: A U.S. Navy North American AJ-1 Savage (BuNo 122590) in flight over southern California (USA) [Photographie], U.S. Navy, 1950, Wikipédia, (URL).
After analyzing the documents, you will be able to situate them in time. Document 1 shows a car. You know that a car uses a combustion engine so you can place this document after the invention of this type of engine. Document 1 should then be placed with the later events.
Document 2 shows sailboats. As these were used well before the combustion engine, this document must be classified before its invention. Document 2 must be classified with the earlier events.
Document 3, like Document 1, shows a mode of transportation using the combustion engine. Like Document 1, this photograph of a plane should be classified with the later events.
Document 4 shows a person on horseback. Since this mode of transportation comes before the combustion engine was invented, it should be classified with Document 2, with the earlier documents.
So the answer looks like this.
The order in which you indicate the documents before or after the central event is not important, as long as they are in the right place in relation to the event.
For example, in the case above with historical documents, it doesn’t matter if you write 1 and 3 or 3 and 1 in the answer.
It is highly recommended that you read the concept sheet on intellectual operations to fully understand how to complete tasks for different intellectual operations.
The two examples below are similar to what you might see on an exam. Try to complete the task before looking at the detailed solution. This will help you to see how well you can do the intellectual operations.
The two examples below are related to concepts that you might not have seen before. If so, don’t worry, you’ll learn them when they are introduced in class.
The example for the first cycle is from the module Sedentarization.
The example for the second cycle is from the module The Development of Colonial Society Under the Authority of the French Mother Country (1608-1760).
Statement: Documents 1-4 present facts about early civilizations. Place them in chronological order.
To find out more about this topic, see the concept sheet on early sedentary households and the concept sheet on economic activities of the first sedentary people.
Statement: Documents 1-4 present facts about early civilizations. Place them in chronological order.
What must I do? Place the items in chronological order
What must I use? The four documents
The 5 W
| Who? |
|---|
| - |
| The document does not identify the Who? component. |
| What? |
| A person harvesting grain |
| The document shows a person with a handful of grain in one hand and a sickle in the other. We can infer that he is harvesting grain. In this case, it could be wheat, barley or any other type of grain. |
| When? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the When? component. |
| Where? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Where? component. |
| Why? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Why? component. |
The 5 W
| Who? |
|---|
| - |
| The document does not identify the Who? component. |
| What? |
| The dwelling of a sedentary population |
| The image shows a dwelling made of earth, with a thatch roof. As this type of dwelling can’t be easily transported, we can infer that it is used by a sedentary community. |
| When? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the When? component. |
| Where? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Where? component. |
| Why? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Why? component. |
The 5 W
| Who? |
|---|
| - |
| The document does not identify the Who? component. |
| What? |
| A trade between two people |
| The image shows a craftsman exchanging an axe with a fisherman for fish. |
| When? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the When? component. |
| Where? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Where? component. |
| Why? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Why? component. |
The 5 W
| Who? |
|---|
| - |
| The document does not identify the Who? component. |
| What? |
| The camp of a nomadic people |
| The tent, which is a temporary dwelling, and the person returning to the camp with game from the hunt, are two clues that indicate that these people are nomads. |
| When? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the When? component. |
| Where? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Where? component. |
| Why? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Why? component. |
Even if it is not possible to answer all of the questions in the 5 W or to formulate a complete historical phrase, this does not mean that all of the information needed to complete the task is not available.
I know that people were nomadic before they were sedentary.
I know that agriculture and keeping livestock led people to become sedentary.
I know that fire was mastered when humans were nomads. It was used to cook food, provide light and keep wild animals away, among other things.
I know that buildings with stone or earth walls cannot be easily moved and take longer to build. They are the homes of people who are not mobile, meaning they belong to settled populations.
I know that agriculture and raising livestock provide communities with surpluses that they can exchange for other goods. These surpluses enable them to produce more handicrafts, which are also traded.
Since document 2 has already been placed on the timeline, you need to place the other three documents in the right place.
The answer is as follows:
-
Document 4 shows how humans mastered fire. This is the fact that should be placed first on the timeline because it precedes agriculture and sedentarization.
-
Document 1 refers to the development of agriculture. It is the fact that should be placed second on the timeline because it begins before sedentarization (it is a cause).
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Document 2, which was already placed on the timeline, shows sedentarization. It is a consequence of the development of agriculture.
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Document 3 is related to commercial trade. These trades became more widespread after the development of agriculture and sedentarization.
Statement: Place the following items according to whether they occur before or after the Royal Government was established.
| Document 1 | Document 2 |
|---|---|
|
“Under pain of indictment by the prosecutor general. It is [forbidden] to all persons of whatever status and condition whatsoever to prevent girls who have come from France at His Majesty’s expense from marrying when they please, except by objecting to their banns with good reasons under penalty of a fine.” Source: “Ruling forbidding [...],” 1663. |
“[…] this is why, after having examined various proposals on this subject, and having recognized that there was [no] way to populate the said country […] they promised my Lord the Cardinal to found a company of one hundred associates, and to make every effort to populate New France, known as Canada […].” [translation] Source: “Company of Canada […],” 1627. |
| Document 3 | Document 4 |
|
“In the spring, under the command of British General James Wolfe, British troops bombarded Quebec City for more than two months. Wolfe also attempted an attack near the French defence line, not far from Montmorency Falls, but it was unsuccessful.” Source: Alloprof, (n.d.). |
“It is one league from Île d’Orléans to Quebec City, and I arrived there on July 3. I searched for a place suitable for our settlement, but I could find none more convenient or better situated than the point of Quebec […].” [translation] Source: Samuel de Champlain, 1613. |
For more information on various events surrounding the New France period, check out the concept sheet New France Under the Royal Government.
Statement: Place the following items according to whether they occurred before or after the Royal Government was established.
What must I do? I must place items before or after a central event.
Which items must I use? I must use items 1 to 4.
| Document 1 |
|---|
|
“Under pain of indictment by the prosecutor general. It is [forbidden] to all persons of any status and condition whatsoever to prevent girls who have come from France at His Majesty’s expense from marrying when they please, except by objecting to their banns with good reasons under penalty of a fine.” Source: “Ruling forbidding [...],” 1663. |
The 5 W
| Who? |
|---|
| The Filles du Roi |
| You can infer this information from your knowledge. |
| What? |
| The marriage of the Filles du Roi |
| This information can be found in the example’s text. It talks about young women who came from France at the king’s expense. |
| When? |
| In 1663 |
| This information can be found in the document’s source. |
| Where? |
| - |
| The document does not give clear information for the Where? component, but assumptions can be made. People from France are mentioned in the text, so the document could be related to New France. |
| Why? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Why? component. |
The historical phrase
This is a text that prohibits people from interfering in the marriages of the Filles du Roi in 1663.
| Document 2 |
|---|
|
“[…] this is why, after having examined various proposals on this subject, and having recognized that there was [no] way to populate the said country […] they promised my Lord the Cardinal to found a company of one hundred associates, and to make every effort to populate New France, known as Canada […].” [translation] Source: “Company of Canada […],” 1627. |
The 5 W
| Who? |
|---|
| The founders of the Company of One Hundred Associates |
| This information is inferred from the document. |
| What? |
| The founding of the Company of One Hundred Associates |
| This information can be found in the document’s text. We can infer that the “company of one hundred associates” referred to is the Company of One Hundred Associates. |
| When? |
| In 1627 |
| This information can be found in the document’s source. |
| Where? |
| In New France |
| This information is inferred from the document and from the fact that the Company of One Hundred Associates worked mainly in New France. |
| Why? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Why? component. |
The historical phrase
This is a text about the founding of the Company of One Hundred Associates in 1627 in New France.
| Document 3 |
|---|
|
“In the spring, under the command of British General James Wolfe, British troops bombarded Quebec City for more than two months. Wolfe also attempted an attack near the French defence line, not far from Montmorency Falls, but it was unsuccessful.” Source: Alloprof, (n.d.). |
The 5 W
| Who? |
|---|
| James Wolfe and the British troops |
| This information is in the document. |
| What? |
| The bombardment of Quebec City by British troops |
| This information is in the document. |
| When? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the When? component. |
| Where? |
| In Quebec City |
| This information is in the document. |
| Why? |
| - |
| The document does not identify the Why? component. |
Historical phrase
Alloprof describes the bombardment of Quebec City by British troops.
| Document 4 |
|---|
|
“It is one league from Île d’Orléans to Quebec City, and I arrived there on July 3. I searched for a place suitable for our settlement, but I could find none more convenient or better situated than the point of Quebec […].” [translation] Source: Samuel de Champlain, 1613. |
The 5 W
| Who? |
|---|
| Samuel de Champlain |
| This information can be found in the document’s source. |
| What? |
| His settlement in Quebec City |
| From your knowledge, you know that Champlain is known as the founder of Quebec City. Since this text discusses the choice of a location for a settlement at the point of Quebec, we can infer that it refers to the founding of Quebec City. |
| When? |
| - |
| The date written in the source of the document is linked to the time when the story was published and not to the event mentioned in the What? component. So you will have to rely on your personal knowledge. |
| Where? |
| In the Quebec City |
| This information can be found in the document’s text. |
| Why? |
| To find a place suitable for a settlement. |
| This information can be found in the document’s text. |
The historical phrase
It was Samuel de Champlain who described the choice of location for his settlement in Quebec City.
Even if it is not possible to answer all of the questions in the 5 W or to formulate a complete historical phrase, this does not mean that all of the information needed to complete the task is not available.
I know that the Royal Government was set up by the King of France in 1663 to oversee the development of New France.
I know that the Filles du Roi came to New France to help develop the colony.
I know that the Company of One Hundred Associates had a monopoly on the fur trade in New France and that, in exchange, it had to take care of the colony’s development.
I know that the Company of One Hundred Associates did not succeed in its mission to develop the colony.
I know that there were battles in Quebec City during the War of the Conquest.
I know that the War of the Conquest took place at the end of the French Regime.
I know that Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608 and that this marked the start of France’s permanent occupation of the territory.
Your answer should look like this.
-
Document 2 refers to the founding of the Company of One Hundred Associates. This event comes before the start of the Royal Government. It predates it.
-
Document 4 refers to the founding of Quebec City. This event dates back to the beginning of the colony. It also predates the start of the Royal Government.
-
Document 3 relates events that took place during the War of the Conquest. This war comes after the start of the Royal Government. So it took place afterwards.
-
Document 1 refers to the Filles du Roi. They came to Canada following a decision made under the Royal Government. So Document 1 comes after the start of the Royal Government.
Arrêt portant défense à toutes personnes d’empêcher les filles venues de France aux dépenses du Roi (filles du Roi), de se marier quand bon leur semblera [Manuscrit]. (1663, 28 novembre). BAnQ Québec, fonds Conseil souverain (TP1, S28, P52). https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/archives/52327/3365831
Collection de manuscrits contenant lettres, mémoires, et autres documents historiques relatifs à la Nouvelle-France, recueillis aux Archives de la province de Québec, ou copiés à l’étranger, mis en ordre et édités sous les auspices de la législature de Québec, avec tables, etc. (1883). (vol. 1). Imprimerie A. Coté et cie. https://collections.banq.qc.ca/ark:/52327/2022926
Alloprof. (s.d.). La guerre de la Conquête. https://www.alloprof.qc.ca/fr/eleves/bv/histoire/la-guerre-de-la-conquete-h1153
de Champlain, S. (1613). Les Voyages du sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, capitaine ordinaire pour le roy, en la marine, divisez en deux livres : ou Journal tres-fidele des observations faites és descouvertures de la Nouvelle France : tant en la descriptio[n] des terres, costes, rivieres, ports, havres, leurs hauteurs, & plusieurs declinaisons de la guide-aymant; qu’en la crea[n]ce des peuples leur superstition façon de vivre & de guerroyer : enrichi de quantité de figures. Éditeur Jean Berjon. https://collections.banq.qc.ca/ark:/52327/2036233
Hine, L. (1908, 10 novembre). Spinner in Vivian Cotton Mills. Been at it 2 years. Where will her good looks be in 10 years? Cherryville, N.C [Photographie]. National Archives and Records Administration. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/523111.
Ruysdael, S. (vers 1660). Fishing Boats on a River [Peinture]. The Met. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438380 CC0 1.0
U.S. Navy. (1950). A U.S. Navy North American AJ-1 Savage (BuNo 122590) in flight over southern California (USA) [Photographie]. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AJ-1_in_flight_over_California_1950.jpg