Primary Source Analysis Paper

Primary Source Analysis Paper - Writing Prompt and Guidelines As historians, a central part of our work is the analysis of primary sources – documents, images, artifacts, and other cultural materials created in the past by people who lived through the historical events we’ll be studying. While the content of these sources is often fascinating, the job of the historian is to move beyond merely describing a document or artifact to an ANALYSIS of its significance, both in its own historical moment and in our broader understanding of early American history. For some tips on working with primary sources, see the “Interpreting a Primary Source” handout posted in the Writing Resources folder on our class Blackboard site.

Task:​ In a well-organized, thesis-driven paper of 2-5 pages, students will:

● briefly summarize the main idea and content of their assigned document ● explain how their document connects to important events, ideas, or developments in its

own historical context ● discuss their assigned document’s significance for broader themes or ideas in early

American history that we’ve read about or studied in class

Formatting:

● All papers should have an introduction and conclusion that clearly state the paper’s central argument.

● Papers should have a single-spaced heading that includes the student’s name, course number, and date, followed by the paper title. A separate title page is not necessary. All pages should be numbered.

● Standard formatting rules apply – 12 pt. font, Times New Roman or other standard font, 1” margins, double-spaced.

● All sources MUST be cited with Chicago Style footnotes (see Chicago Style Citation guide on Blackboard)