Course materials

1. The analysis should examine the historical setting, author and bias, intent
of t
The analysis should examine the historical setting, author and bias, intent of the source,
reception of the source, and its relevance to the study of the United States history. The
analysis should be 2-3 pages and follow standard paper formatting (Double spaced, 1″
margins, size 12 Times New Roman font). For more information about the primary source
analysis, consult the Primary Source Analysis Assignment Guide and Sample Primary Source
Analysis below. Your examination of the historical setting should examine the context in
which the document is produced. What is going on in history during this time period? How
does the historical setting affect the document or situate it within American history? In
terms of author and bias, ask yourself, what do I know about the author—race, sex, class,
occupation, religion, age, region,political beliefs, etc.? How do these things affect the source?
Does the author have an inherent bias that affects his/her perspective on the topic? Next,
think about the author’s intent in writing the document. Look at the purpose of the source.
What was the author’s message or argument? What was he/she trying to get across? Is the
message explicit, or are there implicit messages as well? Also, how does the author try to get
the message across? What methods does he/she use? Who constituted the intended
audience? Was this source meant for one person’s eyes, or for the public? How does that
affect the source?From there, I want you to look at how the source was received. How did
people respond to it? Is it prescriptive (telling you what people thought should happen) or
descriptive (telling you what people thought did happen)? Does it describe ideology and/or
behavior? Finally, address the relevance of this source to United States History. What
historical questions can you answer using this source? What are the benefits of using this
kind of source? Whatquestions can this source NOT help you answer? What are the
limitations of this type of source