How did it speak to specific social, cultural, political, or religious issues located in its historical moment, and, additionally, how does it relate to our own (or other) historical moment(s)?

Assignment
Primary source documents constitute the foundation of both the historical craft and our knowledge and understanding of the past. Primary sources are original, surviving artifacts of historical events and developments that were created during the time period being studied. Examples of such documents include architecture, clothing, letters, diaries, memoirs, official reports, legislative acts, images (including sketches, paintings, political cartoons, and photographs), maps, song lyrics, newspapers, pamphlets, account books, court records, speeches, and sermons.
Each of you must select one primary source document covered in this course, and consider 1) why your document is historically significant and 2) why it is important for understanding U.S. history since the 1920s. You may use a primary source we havent referenced, but please contact me well in advance to confirm.
Guidelines
1) Title the essay with reference to the chosen source, and begin by creating a basic summary that introduces readers to the main historical facts of the
document: who produced it; what type of artifact (poetry, personal narrative, religious scripture/doctrinal text, art, material culture etc.) it is; when it was formed; where it was created; and why it is important for understanding the historical moment it belongs to. This opening summary has one main purpose: encouraging you to begin the assignment by clearly outlining what it is you intend to discuss for the rest of the essay. Consider the first page, or so, of this paper to be the space where you introduce the reader to the primary source you chose and prepare them for the subsequent discussion you plan to carry out.
2) For the remainder of the essay, critically analyze and interpret your primary source by expanding on the points noted abovespecifically, the
items who, what, when, where, and why. This paper should explain the primary source’s broader historical significance and the details around its authorship and/or production.
Who created the artifact, when and where did he or she create it, and who was the intended audience?
Did the chosen primary source help produce endearing beliefs and/or practices?
Did the source instigate or contribute to important debates regarding religion, labor, politics, race, or gender?
How did it speak to specific social, cultural, political, or religious issues located in its historical moment, and, additionally, how does it relate to our own (or other) historical moment(s)?
These are just a handful of questions to consider, but they should help you get started in your effort to unpack the historical significance of a primary source.
Formatting
Essay must be at least three pages long.
be assigned a title, have one-inch margins, and be paginated, double spaced, and written in 12-point, Times New Roman font.
Papers ought to be in proper essay form, including an introduction with a thesis, body paragraphs, conclusion, topic sentences, transitions, etc. Proper grammar and spelling is expected. Essays that are not edited carefully and are submitted with multiple errors will be marked down.
Please take these formatting instructions seriously.

Last Completed Projects