Case Study Circassian Migration FV - EUROCLIO

Multiple perspectives on why the Circassian peoples
were forced in to exile: The Push Factors
It is important to recognise that many historical accounts are constructed from evidence
gathered from lots of different sources and these sources will not always agree with each
other. The foreign ambassador based in St Petersburg, Russia will hear a different account
from his colleague based in Constantinople. The journalist on the spot may have a different
point of view from the military observer gathering intelligence for the High Command. The
Doctor examining the immigrants at their port of arrival will have another perspective. Most
will not only state the facts as they see them they will also seek to interpret these facts for
their chosen audience. So, we need to compare and contrast these different perspectives and
note the similarities and differences before drawing any conclusions about motives, reasons
and causes.
In each case we need to ask:
• From whom might they have got their information?
• For whom are they providing this information?
• Why might they be selective with the evidence or biased in their interpretation?
Our answers to these questions will enable us to decide how credible and reliable each of
these sources is as an objective account of why the Circassians moved .
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