What is an example of a historical document?

An example of a historical document is parish records from earlier centuries. These records provide insight into the societal norms, demographics, and daily life of people from a specific time period. Historical documents are typically primary sources that originate from the time under study, and parish records can include information such as baptisms, marriages, and deaths, which are valuable for understanding historical population trends, family structures, and community organization.

In contrast, the other options are not considered historical documents because they pertain to contemporary events or data. Current newspaper articles reflect modern issues and opinions, government reports about recent policies focus on current governance, and survey responses from contemporary interviews provide data about present attitudes and behaviors. Thus, they do not offer the retrospective insight that is characteristic of historical documents.