HOW TO ANALYZE A PRIMARY SOURCE Goal This assignment walks you through the doing an in-depth…

HOW TO ANALYZE A PRIMARY SOURCE

Goal

 

This assignment walks you through the doing an in-depth analysis of one of the primary source documents we will be using in this course, “The Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)” (Foner, Voices of Freedom, 272-276).

Be sure to also read the background information about the document on the first page of it. This will be very helpful when you answer the assigned questions below. Make sure you read these instructions through in their entirety before submitting your assignment through Blackboard. The fastest way to loose points is to skip over any of the assignment requirements. I also strongly recommend you watch the available tutorial on citations before you start.

 

What are Primary Sources?

A Reminder Primary materials also need to be carefully read and interpreted.

You may not be able to give exact answers, but you should still try. Some questions to ask include: Who created the source and for what original purpose? Did the creator have firsthand knowledge? (In other words, was he or she there?) If so, how do you know? If not, why not? What biases or hidden agendas did the creator(s) have? Is the document meant to persuade or inform? Was the source originally meant to be private or public? Who was the intended audience? When was the source created? Soon after the event, or years later?

Your Assignment

Step 1: In one paragraph, answer all five (5) questions above for the assigned document. Please do not make a higher grade you will earn. You may need to turn to the background information in Foner to answer every question.

Step 2 : In a second paragraph, prepare a brief summary of what both Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln are saying in this document. What are the main points they make? What is their overall point or argument?

Note: You can choose to break this down paragraph by paragraph (remember that this was a debate, and that the two men were responding directly to one another.) Alternatively, you may choose to write one paragraph summarizing Douglas’ arguments and one summarizing Lincoln’s arguments. Either approach is acceptable. Again, be as specific as possible. The more specific you are the higher grade you will earn.

 

Format and Requirements

This assignment should be at least 1 page single-spaced or two pages double-spaced in length. Make sure the document has been proof-read for errors, and that it contains your name in the upper right-hand corner. It should be in font no larger than 12 point. Please write in complete sentences and follow standard grammatical rules. Make sure the document is in Word format before uploading. You may divide this assignment into two paragraphs, one for each section, if you like. Otherwise the whole assignment can be one paragraph. Use whichever approach makes the most sense to you.

Use essay format: Bullet points or lists are not acceptable; do not use subheadings; and you should not repeat the questions in the text unless you paraphrase them. Citations should be in short form (Foner, Voices of Freedom, 3). More information on this may be found in the tutorial on Blackboard. No additional sources are required to complete this assignment. However, if you choose to use additional sources, you will need to also provide a Works Cited page.