Primary Source Assignment
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AGUIDETOREADINGANDINTERPRETINGDOCUMENTS.docxA GUIDE TO READING AND INTERPRETING DOCUMENTS
(Taken from Voices of the American Past: Documents in U.S. History)
Historians refer to documents as written primary sources. These are the raw materials, the basic building blocks to reconstructing past events. In the same way that a detective searches a crime scene for clues, a historian draws on primary sources and uses the weight of the evidence to determine what happened and to help support an interpretation of the event. While primary sources might be described as any evidence that is contemporary to the event described, historians rely heavily on first-hand, eyewitness accounts or recollections events of the time, as well as speeches or official reports produced at that time. All primary sources, however, are not created equal. The closer the evidence is in time and space to the event described, the less bias that it contains, the more reliable it tends to be. The interpretations that historians produce from these primary sources are called secondary sources. Secondary sources are books and articles written about past events, such as a textbook.
Reading and analyzing documents require particular skills. You should examine documents with a critical eye; that is, ask questions about the document. We recommend that you develop the ability to perform a twofold reading of the document. First, try to understand the document as the people in the time and place in which it was produced would have comprehended it. What did the document mean to them? Always remember that people live within a historical context – they inhabit a different time and place. They do not know what the future holds. Careful analysis of a document will enable you to examine the thoughts and actions of the people of a particular time. Second, read the document and consider the similarities and differences between that time period and your own. Students of history are often called upon to make judgments about the past. Documents should be analyzed to see how they fit into the broader sweep of history.
1. Context – Each document has an introduction. You should read it as well as review notes from your instructor’s lecture. This will provide you with some background about events, people, and ideas of the time period in which the document was created.
a. What major political, social, and economic events may have affected the author of the document?
b. How does this document fit into the historical context?
c. How does this document better our understanding of the event?
d. Does the document help to explain the cause-and-effect relationship of this event?
2. Thesis – Most documents have a central point that is being conveyed. This is known as the thesis. It is critical for any reader to understanding the core argument – the thesis – of a document. Identifying the thesis is the important first step in making sense of a document’s overall impact.
a. Can you summarize the document in 3-4 sentences?
b. What is the thesis?
c. What does the author emphasize?
d. What are the key words that define the argument?
Keep in mind that the meaning of words changes over time, so try to understand the use of language in the historical time period of the document. For example, students in the late 20th century might refer to “icon” as a clickable symbol on their computer’s desktop, while prior to the widespread use of computers, “icon” would refer to a sacred, religious image.
3. Perspective – The author’s point of view, including his or her prejudices and beliefs, can affect dramatically the content of a document. It is essential to consider the author of a document when reading. Biographical information can be helpful in deciding the author’s point of view. For example, a slave owner would have a different view of slavery than a slave. Factory workers would certainly have a different perception of life in America than the owner of the factory where they worked.
a. Who is the author of the document?
b. What is his or her background?
c. When was the document created?
d. Was it prepared during the event, immediately afterwards, within a short time period, or years later?
Such timing is important, as memories often fade or become distorted over time.
An individual’s life experience often shapes perspective or views about events in his or her time. Seek to determine the author’s gender, class, ethnicity (where appropriate), their regional background, and their political, economic, or social position.
e. Do you detect any prejudices?
f. What evidence indicates the bias of the author?
g. Can you determine the author’s motive in producing the document?
h. What did he or she hope to accomplish?
4. Audience – Knowing that the intended audience of an account can be useful in better understanding why the document was created.
a. Was the document prepared for a specific audience – women, members of Congress, African Americans, wealthy businessmen, immigrants, a friend, for example?
b. Was the document prepared for public distribution?
c. Was it a speech, a newspaper or a magazine article or editorial, an official government report, a published memoir or autobiography, to name a few possibilities?
d. Was it produced for personal and private reflection, such as a diary, journal entry, or an exchange of letters between friends?
Public consumption documents tend to be carefully worded, often guarded in presentation, while private ones tend to be less cautious and more honest. Classifying or identifying the document can be helpful in understanding its contents.
5. Significance – Finally, one should determine why a document is important.
a. Why is the document important or significant?
b. How has it shaped our understanding of the event?
c. How has it shaped our understanding of historical change or continuity over time?
d. What does it tell us about the historical time period?
