Museum from Home Activity: Document Based Questions
Document Based Questions
The collections of the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs contain many primary source documents that shed light on our collective history. Below we have provided a sampling of documents with associated questions that will test your reading comprehension and research skills. We have provided answers to the questions, but some require open-ended research. Have fun diving into the past with us!
Meat Black Market
Who is the government organization that released the price lists?
Office of Price Administration.
What is considered a “meat black marketeer”?
Any farmer, meat packer, wholesaler, retailer or housewife who buys or sells meat at higher costs than the approved list.
What two types of payment are required to purchase the food on these lists?
Money and ration points.
What would you purchase for your family if you only had $10 to spend for the month (prices listed are in cents per pound)?
This is an open-ended question and can produce many variations. Have fun with this one!
Car Dealership Contract
What is the total cost of the car?
$375.25
How much would this car cost today? Use an inflation calculator (find it online) to see how much it would cost in 2020 money!
$7,583.51. This is considerably less than cars today. Based on 1917 tax returns, almost half the country made between $1,000 and $2,000 a year, so buying a car at this price would have been a considerable expense for 47% of those employed in 1917.
What are some of the terms the buyer is agreeing too?
a. The car must be picked up within 48 hours of the time of sale.
b. The Ford Motor Company owns the title to the car until it is fully paid off.
What city is the car being sold in?
Lewes, Delaware
What kind of car is the buyer purchasing?
Model T, Touring
Who founded the Ford Motor Company?
Henry Ford
Mary Dickinson Letter
What do the Society of Friends (Quakers) believe in? What are their core values?
a. The light of God exists in every person.
b. To quake before God (thus the name).
c. Equality (many were involved in the abolitionist movement in the United States).
d. No violence.
Who was the founder of the Society of Friends?
George Fox in the 1650’s in England.
When was this letter written?
1743
Who is a famous Quaker related to Delaware and Pennsylvania history?
William Penn
What are the two locations mentioned in the letter?
Talbot County, Maryland and Kent County, Delaware.