Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion
To mark the centennial of the Halifax Explosion, and help educators and students think critically about primary sources, Historica Canada has created the Think Like a Historianseries of videos and classroom activities. This education guide gives students an introduction to the Halifax Explosion and working with primary sources.
On the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbour, generating an explosion that devastated the city and surrounding area. Nearly 2,000 people died, and another 9,000 were wounded. At the time, the Halifax Explosion was the largest human-made explosion in history.
Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosionexplores the role of Halifax during the First World War, the causes and consequences of the Explosion, and the experiences of survivors so that we can better understand the perspectives of those who lived through or died as a result of the Explosion. Individual perspectives of survivors, brought to life through primary sources, reveal what it was like to be in Halifax on that fateful day. These primary sources provide a window to explore this dramatic event in Canadian history.