As you know, primary sources are pieces of evidence from the past. What they mean and say about…

As you know, primary sources are pieces of evidence from the past. What they mean and say about the past, though, is not always readily apparent.
This is your second primary source analysis assignment. This time, you will write a 2 page paper, double spaced, 12 point font and submit it by Sunday, midnight.
Your finished paper will once again have a “summary” of the content of the source (in your own words!). In it, you will have all the basic information one needs to understand the source: what is it? Is this a published book? a speech? What year is this from? Who wrote this, to whom, and why? What is it about, what is the topic?
Remember also, that for a good primary source analysis, you might need to do some background research to clarify terms of fill in missing information (often a quick internet search gets you what you need — but you must cite your sources!! Also, whatever you find, remember that I prefer you to use your own words!!!)
This summary will then again be followed by a part where you “contextualize” the source: This means that you situate the source in a “context” of time and space. Ask yourself: What was happening around the time the source was created and where the speaker/writer was living?
Again, you might want to do a quick internet search, in case the textbook does not give you enough infos to go with! (Remember to cite!)
For this part, it might be helpful to quote from the source itself, but make sure you are not quoting more than 1 sentence at a time!Also, please make sure you properly package your quotes! Quotes rarely speak for themselves, and when students quote extensively, they often assume that simply by writing down the quote, they had made a point. But this is not how it works. You would still need to “unpack” the meaning of the quote and very long quotes are difficult to unpack!Keep in mind that what I want to see is what you have to say about the quote!After you have summarized and contextualized your source, there is one more step to tackle: Every primary source is a potentially useful piece of evidence of something important from the past…but what is it?
For this last part, write one more paragraph (ca. 5 full sentences, 100% your own words) about what exactly we can learn from this source:What is it evidence for? [=> there will be a lot it can NOT tell us, make sure you are not stretching the evidence to make a point that the evidence actually does not support!]Your second primary source analysis may be based on any of the following sources:Interview with William McKinley (1903)W.E.B. DuBois, “Returning Soldiers,” (1919)Ellen Welles Page, “A Flapper’s Appeal to Parents” (1922)