This assignment is 2-3 pages, double-spaced, 12pt Times font. A reminder:

This assignment is 2-3 pages, double-spaced, 12pt Times font. A reminder: The goal of this assignment is for you to focus on analyzing the historical significance of the document, not on analyzing it for its contents.

You do not need outside sources for this assignment

For this primary source analysis paper, you will select one of the following documents to write about:

George Fitzhugh Argues that Slavery is Better than Liberty and Equality, 1854

Cherokee Petition Protesting Removal, 1836

Jacob Riis – How the Other Half Lives

– Rose Cohen on the World Beyond her Immigrant Neighborhood (ca.1897/1918)

-The Triumph of America – Andrew Carnegie

Your paper should take the form of a coherent essay, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion that addresses the following components:

1. Historical background of the source. What was happening at the time that the source was written? Be sure to indicate the source(s) of your information. Give priority to information that is likely to have a direct bearing on how you interpret the source.

2. Context for writing the source. Who wrote it? When? Why? What is it about? For whom did the author write? Did the author have a personal stake in how events turned out? In the case of anonymous sources, what can you deduce about the author from the source itself?

3. Usefulness of the source. What can be learned from the source? Give examples of things which can (or cannot) be learned from the source. How are the author’s circumstances reflected in the source? Give specific examples of statements that are particularly biased or particularly even-handed. Is the information easily quantifiable? If so, consider including a table as an example of how to analyze the source quantitatively. If not, discuss the most applicable interpretive approaches to the source (literary, historical, etc.). Is the work theoretical? Or does the author include a wealth of details that tell about what was happening around him or her? Does the author reveal anything about general societal attitudes (e.g. towards religion, kingship, family life)? Does the author offer insights into the specific historical events or personages? Does the author give information about things that are not the main topic of the source? (For example, in a source about religion, an author might barnyard imagery that could tell you about peasant life.) Try to go beyond a consideration of the basic facts presented in the source to analysis of larger insights into history which might be gained from the source. Note that not all questions are applicable for all sources.

4. Conclusion. What is your overall assessment of the source? What are its strongest and weakest points? How could this source best be used for research?