Relevant firsthand accounts and eyewitness reports

Primary Source Assignment 1 Directions
Primary sources are sources that come from the time period which you are studying. They consist of actual documents, letters, diaries, newspaper articles (from the time period itself), and other relevant firsthand accounts and eyewitness reports. Historians use these documents to learn more about the time period, as well as to gain insights and different perspectives. As most people have heard, there are two sides to every story. In history, we find that there are often many more sides than that. Each person might view an event differently, depending on where he or she comes from and the experiences they have had. This is why primary sources are so valuable to historians. They can also be misleading, too. How do we know that the person writing the account isn’t lying, or stretching the truth to achieve his or her own ends? There is always bias involved. This is why the job of the historian is such a difficult one. If you have only one source, you only have one piece of the puzzle.
First, print out and read the article called “A Guide To Reading and Interpreting Sources,” the informational sheet called “Bias,” and the “Primary Source Prewriting Sheet.” These are all located under Content in Important Documents. Keep these with you and in mind as you work on your own source.
Look at the list of primary sources below. Note that they are grouped by chapter. For the first assignment, you will choose one of the sources from this list. This makes sure you are doing an assignment in the general area of the time period we are covering for that particular exam. The sources are actually located at the end of the Revel eTextbook. I have a short HOW TO Video on how to find them and what to do located under the Content section in HOW TO Videos. Please choose something that seems to interest you! As you read the first article, think about it in terms of the introduction and the questions listed above, and include some insights regarding those things when you write your paper.
1. Choose your document, read the document, and make a few notes for yourself as you go.
2. Fill out the questions as fully as possible on the Primary Source Assignment sheet. (You don’t turn this in – it is just to help you organize)
3. Answer the questions that are at the bottom of your primary source in complete sentences. You will be making these into part of your essay.
4. Take the info from your prewriting sheet and put it into essay format. Your paper should include the following:
A title that is the same as that of the article you are reading. Times New Roman, size 12. One inch margins, double-spaced.
I. Paragraph One – Overview and Context
a. Question