Writing Guidelines Step 1 -- Summarizing A summary is a short paragraph telling what the  main idea  of a reading/lecture/video is about. These are some basic steps to follow in order to create a summary: Read the text and underline or highlight the main idea and the main details. Put the text aside and write down the main idea and details in a separate document/on a separate piece of paper.  DO NOT LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT ! Write your summary using your typed/handwritten notes.  Check your summary and the original article to be sure you have included only the most  important information  and that you have not  directly copied from the article. Step 2 -- Interpretation Keep in mind these guidelines for analysis of your document from the Document Interpretation Tutorial . Questions to ask of any source.. Who is the author? Who wrote or created this? Is there a single or multiple authors? An author's identity sometimes helps you answer the later questions. What type of source is this? Is it a photograph or a poem? A biography or a government document? This is a simple but crucial step because you must consider what you can expect to learn from the document. What is the message of this source?  What is the author describing? What is happening in the text or image? What is the story? Who is the intended audience?  Who is the author addressing? Was the source intended for private or public consumption? Identifying the audience will help you answer the next question. Why was this source created?  Does the author have an agenda, a larger purpose? Is the author trying to persuade the audience? Is the document or source simply a compilation of facts, or does it include opinion, inference, or interpretation? Is this source credible and accurate?  Historians must examine every source with a critical eye. What do you know about the author? Does the document make sense? Do the facts presented by the author or what you know about the time period support the thesis, statement, assertion, or story the author is conveying? Why should you trust, or distrust, this source? How is this source valuable to me?  How does the source relate to other sources from the time period or along the same issue or theme? Does it support or contradict them? Does it repeat information from other sources or add new information? How relevant is the source to your topic of inquiry? Does it extensively cover your topic, or only marginally or not at all? Remember, you should explore enough sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints. Document Interpretation 4: "Hamilton and Jefferson", & The Masters Class No unread replies. 2 2 replies. Overview  One of the most important skills a historian develops is the ability to evaluate historical documents. This evaluation concerns asking questions of the documents that allows a historian to have insight in a particular topic or period being investigated. This week's documents relate to the weekly module topic. This week's documents re.

1. Writing Guidelines
Step 1 -- Summarizing
A summary is a short paragraph telling what the
main idea
of a reading/lecture/video is about. These are some basic steps
to follow in order to create a summary:
Read the text and underline or highlight the main idea and the
main details.
Put the text aside and write down the main idea and details in a
separate document/on a separate piece of paper.
DO NOT LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT
!
Write your summary using your typed/handwritten notes.
Check your summary and the original article to be sure you
have included only the most
important information
and that you have not
directly copied from the article.
Step 2 -- Interpretation
Keep in mind these guidelines for analysis of your document
from the
Document Interpretation Tutorial
.
Questions to ask of any source..
Who is the author?
Who wrote or created this? Is there a single or multiple authors?
An author's identity sometimes helps you answer the later
questions.
What type of source is this?
Is it a photograph or a poem? A biography or a government
document? This is a simple but crucial step because you must
consider what you can expect to learn from the document.

2. What is the message of this source?
What is the author describing? What is happening in the text or
image? What is the story?
Who is the intended audience?
Who is the author addressing? Was the source intended for
private or public consumption? Identifying the audience will
help you answer the next question.
Why was this source created?
Does the author have an agenda, a larger purpose? Is the author
trying to persuade the audience? Is the document or source
simply a compilation of facts, or does it include opinion,
inference, or interpretation?
Is this source credible and accurate?
Historians must examine every source with a critical eye. What
do you know about the author? Does the document make sense?
Do the facts presented by the author or what you know about the
time period support the thesis, statement, assertion, or story the
author is conveying? Why should you trust, or distrust, this
source?
How is this source valuable to me?
How does the source relate to other sources from the time
period or along the same issue or theme? Does it support or
contradict them? Does it repeat information from other sources
or add new information? How relevant is the source to your
topic of inquiry? Does it extensively cover your topic, or only
marginally or not at all? Remember, you should explore enough
sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints.
Document Interpretation 4: "Hamilton and Jefferson", & The
Masters Class
No unread replies.
2
2 replies.
Overview
One of the most important skills a historian develops is the

3. ability to evaluate historical documents. This evaluation
concerns asking questions of the documents that allows a
historian to have insight in a particular topic or period being
investigated. This week's documents relate to the weekly
module topic. This week's documents relate to the weekly
module topic of culture and cultural interaction. If you still
need help prioritizing your questions of the document go to the
Document Interpretation Tutorial Page
. Use the questions below to learn how to analyze various types
of sources and to become an historian yourself.
Directions
In this weekly discussion assignment you will need to:
Choose one of the documents below to read
from one of the 2 categories
.
Write a 250-500 word initial post and and present your
interpretation of the document and the material you have been
introduced to in this module.
Category 1: Hamilton & Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton,
An opinion on the Constitutionality of an Act to Establish a
Bank
How does Hamilton’s understanding of what is, “necessary and
proper,” in government affect his reasoning?
What implications does this argument have regarding the
enumerated powers given to Congress in Article 1 of the
Constitution?
The Virginia Resolution
and
the Kentucky Resolution
George Washington,
Sixth Annual Address to Congress
How does Washington defend his actions? What does he cite as
the basis of his power to suppress the rebellion?

4. What did Washington ask Congress to do in this address?
How did Washington describe those who participated in the
rebellion? In your opinion was this a fair assessment? Why or
why not?
Proclamation of Neutrality
Why did Washington refuse to protect any Americans who aided
the warring nations?
Who were the major belligerents in the European war?
Thomas Jefferson,
First Inaugural Address
How is Jefferson’s Inaugural Address a reflection of the,
“Revolution of 1800”?
What did Jefferson mean when he said, “We are all Republicans
we are all Federalist”?
Category 2: The Masters Class
George Fitzhugh,
The Blessings of Slavery
Read 29-30 and Chapter XXI (page 294-299)
How does Fitzhugh compare slavery of his day to the slavery of
ancient Rome and Greece?
Does Fitzhugh see race as an important factor in terms of
slavery? Explain
According to the excerpt, which group is persecuting free white
laborers?
Benjamin Drew, from The Narratives of Fugitive Slaves in
Canada
Read
Mrs. James Steward (pages 41-43) and Mrs. Nancy Howard
(pages 50-52)
What common experiences do both women report? In your
opinion did most slaves share these experiences?
Why do you think both women finally settled in Canada?
(Consider the year these accounts were published)
Levi Coffin,

5. Reminiscences of the Underground Railroad in the 1850s
Read from 298-301; start at, “I was personally acquainted…"
According to Coffin, what precautions or tactics did the Coffins
employ to conceal fugitive slaves?
Why does Coffin feel that he and his wife were successful
conductors on the Underground Railroad?
How does Coffin describe the plight of the fugitive slave who
fled to Cincinnati?
Frederick Law Olmsted, from
A Journey in the Seaboard States
Read:
A Tobacco Plantation (Page 88)- Religious Condition (Page
115)
What impact do you think writing this made in the pre-Civil
War North when it was published? Do you think it advanced or
hindered the abolitionist cause?
How does Olmstead describe the religious and moral conditions
of slaves in the South?
Compare the free-labor farm to the slave-based tobacco farm.
What are the significant differences as reported by Olmstead?
An Account of the Late Intended Insurrection Among a Portion
of the Blacks of this City
Read Red Text Section on page 17