Patrick MacKellar

Article summary

Colonel Patrick Mackellar (1717 – 1778) was a British army officer and military engineer who played a significant role in the early history of North America. He was the deputy chief engineer at the Siege of Louisbourg (1758) and the chief engineer at the siege of Quebec in 1759. In later years he was responsible for the design and construction of the town of Es Castell on the island of Menorca.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1717 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1768 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of formation: 1762-09-07 — 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 "1717". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1768". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of formation is "1762-09-07". 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=1353483793