Sourcing
I can gather critical information about a source.
Remember that history is the interpretation of the past. That means we have to piece together information based on what people leave behind; what they write, what they say, etc. It is important to consider when and why a source was created and by whom before you start analyzing what it means.
Who wrote this?
It’s important to consider who the author is when analyzing a source. For example, it makes a difference to know if a document was made by the President of the United States or by the Prime Minister of England.
What is the author’s perspective?
What is the point of view of the author? Was he a patriot or a loyalist? Was he a business owner or a worker? Was he actually there or did he hear about it later?
When was it written?
We want to notice the date of the event but we are most interested to notice if it was written soon after the event happened or if it was written well after the event.
Where was it written?
Much like time, we’re looking to see how close the author is to the action. Notice if it was written in the location it took place or somewhere else. Are you reading an article written in colonial America or in England about colonial America?
Why was it written?
Was the source written to keep track of information or to persuade someone to think or do something?
Is it reliable? Why or why not?
Now we’re putting together all the things we’ve noticed about this source. Is the source biased to one side of the argument? Does it lead you toward believing one person’s point of view? Is it so biased that the information isn’t accurate so we shouldn’t rely on this source for evidence and information?
Sample Question
FOCUS QUESTION: What did the founding fathers intend for the role of the federal government to be?
SOURCE: Preamble of the Constitution of the United States of America. Created September 17, 1787 and ratified June 21, 1788. Written during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The convention included delegates from all the states who had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation but instead ended up writing the Constitution.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Who wrote this?
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention
What is the author’s perspective?
All the delegates represented different states with different needs
When was it written?
July 1788
Where was it written?
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Why was it written?
To reorganize the government of the United States
Is it reliable? Why or why not?
It is reliable because it is the part of the document that tells their goals for what the federal government should be responsible for.