One

I believe this essay has to be in 3rd person. I also chose the primary source, Indian Removal Act.
PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS ESSAY
A primary source is an original, historical document created by someone with a direct
involvement in
or knowledge of context or events described within the body of the document. Examples may
include a speech, a personal letter, a law, a political pamphlet, a treaty, or eyewitness account,
among others. It is through these original documents that historians and researchers are able to
piece together the narrative history of the course of human events. Without direct, written
evidence of our history, our knowledge of the human experience would be limited to only the
broadest comprehension of general historical events.
There are many different ways to interpret a primary source document, and a multitude of ways
to be creative in the process. In some cases, this might involve telling a story; in other cases it
might involve a commentary on the language employed in the document; and in other cases that
interpretation might emerge from an attempt to assess motivation, intent, or purpose.
Never will simply describing what happened be sufficient as an historical interpretation of a
document.
In short, historians are always trying to discover both the meaning and the significance of a piece
of
historical evidence. Since that evidence usually consists of written documents, these document
analysis papers should also seek to find a balance between exposing meaning and significance of
the evidence.
By meaning, we are trying to reconstitute what that document might have meant (or how it might
have
been understood) by the historical figures in that era.
By significance, we mean to ask, “what is the importance of this subject in greater historical
narrative, as we study it in the present?”
Therefore, a good document analysis paper will focus upon both the text itself (with attention to
the
specifics and nuances of language used) and the context (the broader picture of the history of that
period that informs the document). It is this dual approach that separates the methods of
historians from those of other disciplines, such as literary criticism or positivist social science
(sociology or political science).
You must select a primary source written document (made between 1490 – 1990) and write a 6
page
paper (not including Works Cited Page) explaining the historical meaning and significance of the
document.
There are several locations in which you can search for an original historical document to write
about.
These include, but are not limited to:
U.S. Library of Congress
U.S. National Archives
Wiki source
Google Books
Google Scholar
JSTOR
EBSCO
You must then choose at least five secondary sources that discuss the content of your primary
source.
YOU MAY NOT use a blog, or Wikipedia as one of your secondary sources.
This is a formal essay and you are required to adhere to the writing standards of MLA
formatting.
While you should not simply attempt to systematically answer each question in series, you
should use them to help you develop a thoughtful and critical interpretation of the chosen source
material.
Basic Identification
1. What type of source is it? (newspaper article, map, letter, film, etc.)
2. When was it created?
3. Where was it created?
4. Who created it?
Author’s Intent
1. What is the author’s place in society? (profession, status, class, gender, ethnicity, etc.)
2. How might the factors listed in the question above shape the author’s perspective in this
source?
3. Why do you think the author created this source?
4. Does the author have an argument? If so, what is it?
5. Who is the intended audience for this source?
6. How might the intended audience shape the perspective of this source?
Historical Context
1. Under what specific historical circumstances was this source created?
2. What larger historical events, processes, or structures might have influenced this text?
3. Is this source consistent with what you know about the historical record from that time?
Content of the Source
1. What historical facts do you learn from this source?
2. What biases or other cultural factors might have shaped the message of this source?
3. How do the ideas and values in the source differ from the ideas and values of our time?
4. What historical perspectives are left out of this source?
5. What questions are left unanswered by this source?
Relevance of the Source
1. How might this source confirm or contradict issues raised in other primary sources?
2. How might this source confirm or contradict issues raised in secondary sources?
3. Do you think this source represent any patterns with other primary sources?