Mac Abbott

Article summary

Macartney "Mac" Abbott (3 July 1877 – 30 December 1960) was an Australian lawyer, politician and peace activist. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 1935 to 1941, representing the Country Party, and had previously served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1913 to 1918. He was a leader of the new state movement in the late 1920s and in the 1930s became known for his idiosyncratic efforts towards world peace.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1877-07-03 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of death: 1880 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of death: 1960-12-30 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1877-07-03". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of death is "1880". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of death is "1960-12-30". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1374198601