Reference no: EM132257716

Essay : HOW TO ANALYZE A PRIMARY SOURCE

The Goal

This assignment walks you through the doing an in-depth analysis of one of the primary source documents we will be using in this course, "Memorial against NonEnglish Immigration (1727)" (Foner, Voices of Freedom, 57)

Be sure to also read the background information about the document on the first page of it. This will be very helpful when you answer the assigned questions below. Make sure you read these instructions through in their entirety before submitting your assignment through Blackboard.

The fastest way to loose points is to skip over any of the assignment requirements. I also strongly recommend you watch the available tutorial on citations before you start.

What are Primary Sources?

Primary sources are the evidence left behind by participants or observers of a given event or during a particular period of time. Primary sources allow us to make personal connections to the past. And finally, primary sources are the evidence used by historians to support an interpretation of the past.

The availability and kinds of primary sources vary with time period and topic. For example in times of low literacy, there will be fewer documents and those that exist will come from a certain class of people (those that are literate) or from a governing source. Primary sources for earlier periods of time will be scarcer than for recent times. Though many primary sources have been transcribed and published, primary sources are usually in the original language (though some have been translated into English) so, for example, most material from the

Russian Revolution is in Russian rather than English.
Primary materials also need to be carefully read and interpreted. You may not be able to give exact answers3, but you should still try. Some questions to ask include:

• Who created the source and for what original purpose?

• Did the creator have firsthand knowledge? (In other words, was he or she there?) If so, how do you know? If not, why not?

• What biases or hidden agendas did the creator have? Is the document meant to persuade or inform?

• Was the source originally meant to be private or public? Who was the intended audience?

• When was the source created? Soon after the event, or years later?

Your Assignment

Step 1: In one paragraph, answer all five (5) questions above for the assigned document. Please do not make a list; answer in paragraph format. Be as specific as possible. The more specific you are the higher grade you will earn. You may need to turn to the background information in Foner to answer every question.

Step 2 : In a second paragraph, prepare a brief summary of what the authors of this petition are saying in this document. What are the main points they make? What is their overall point or argument? Again, be as specific as possible. The more specific you are the higher grade you will earn.

Format and Requirements

This assignment should be at least 1 page single-spaced or two pages double-spaced in length. Make sure the document has been proof-read for errors, and that it contains your name in the upper right-hand corner. It should be in font no larger than 12 point. Please write in complete sentences and follow standard grammatical rules. Make sure the document is in Word format before uploading.

You may divide this assignment into two paragraphs, one for each section, if you like. Otherwise the whole assignment can be one paragraph.

Use whichever approach makes the most sense to you. Use essay format: Bullet points or lists are not acceptable; do not use subheadings; and you should not repeat the questions in the text unless you paraphrase them. Citations should be in short form (Foner, Voices of Freedom, 3). More information on this may be found in the tutorial on Blackboard. No additional sources are required to complete this assignment. However, if you choose to use additional sources, you will need to also provide a Works Cited page.