Know about the secondary sources that historians use to analyze past events, like the creation of the London Metropolitan Police Department by Sir Robert Peel
Learn how historians use secondary sources to understand past events, such as the creation of the London Metropolitan Police Department by Sir Robert Peel.
© Open University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Media Editor: Lee Goldstein
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The symbols of the zodiac likely originated around the Middle Ages.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Virgo is considered to govern from August 23 to September 22.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail Department of Defense/National Archives, Washington, D.C.; Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.War in Europe ending with Germany's unconditional surrender, May 1945.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © European Communities, 1996; SPC 5 James Cavalier/U.S. Department of Defense; Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.In the 1980s West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl worked to create a united Europe that would be both economically and politically integrated.
-
Science in Seconds (www.scienceinseconds.com) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn about the most accurate forms of biometrics, from ear analysis to palm recognition.
-
University College Cork, Ireland (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A simulated crime scene is a teaching tool in a university forensic chemistry program.
News •
Police watchdog to investigate Met’s handling of Meghan warning letter
• Oct. 30, 2026, 10:53 AM ET (The Guardian)
Met says it shared allegations about Meghan’s father with her but not other forces
• Oct. 24, 2026, 8:52 AM ET (The Guardian)
Transcript
How do historians know about the past?
What is a secondary source? Well, secondary sources arise after the period being studied. There are lots of different kinds of secondary sources, partly because historians don't always approach their topics in the same way every time and partly because secondary source is a very broad category. As an example, let's look at the arrival of the Metropolitan Police in 1829, and the sorts of secondary source material that has been produced about them.
There are many specialized books about the history of the Met, and how they were formed by the then home secretary Sir Robert Peel. Books about criminal justice in general can also offer insights into why the Met was formed. Historians have also written about detailed aspects of the Met's development, such as the history of their uniform and how it's changed over the years. We can also find entries in reference dictionaries and encyclopedias, describing, amongst other things, famous Met cases involving criminals like Dr. Crippen and the Kray twins.
The Metropolitan Police have even written up their history from their point of view on their own web site. All these, along with hundreds of other books and articles written by journalists, biographers, and amateur authors are classed as secondary sources too. Historians can use the wide range of secondary source material to answer lots of questions. But writing history is a complicated process-- different authors will have differing views and opinions on the same subject.
What is a secondary source? Well, secondary sources arise after the period being studied. There are lots of different kinds of secondary sources, partly because historians don't always approach their topics in the same way every time and partly because secondary source is a very broad category. As an example, let's look at the arrival of the Metropolitan Police in 1829, and the sorts of secondary source material that has been produced about them.
There are many specialized books about the history of the Met, and how they were formed by the then home secretary Sir Robert Peel. Books about criminal justice in general can also offer insights into why the Met was formed. Historians have also written about detailed aspects of the Met's development, such as the history of their uniform and how it's changed over the years. We can also find entries in reference dictionaries and encyclopedias, describing, amongst other things, famous Met cases involving criminals like Dr. Crippen and the Kray twins.
The Metropolitan Police have even written up their history from their point of view on their own web site. All these, along with hundreds of other books and articles written by journalists, biographers, and amateur authors are classed as secondary sources too. Historians can use the wide range of secondary source material to answer lots of questions. But writing history is a complicated process-- different authors will have differing views and opinions on the same subject.
Last Modification: