Touchstone 4: Analyzing Primary Sources
ASSIGNMENT: You have learned that the historian’s craft involves using evidence from the past to learn and write about what happened. This evidence comes in the form of primary sources, or first-hand accounts or artifacts from the time period that the historian is writing about or studying. These sources provide the foundation for any historical narrative. Throughout this course, we have introduced you to the skill of Analyzing Primary Sources and to numerous primary sources that professional historians have used to develop a narrative of U.S. history. Now, you will have the opportunity to practice the historian’s craft by reading and analyzing two primary sources yourself.
Touchstone 4: Analyzing Primary Sources
ASSIGNMENT: You have learned that the historian’s craft involves using evidence from the past to learn and write about what happened. This evidence comes in the form of primary sources, or first-hand accounts or artifacts from the time period that the historian is writing about or studying. These sources provide the foundation for any historical narrative. Throughout this course, we have introduced you to the skill of Analyzing Primary Sources and to numerous primary sources that professional historians have used to develop a narrative of U.S. history. Now, you will have the opportunity to practice the historian’s craft by reading and analyzing two primary sources yourself. Keep in mind that the same skills you use to read and analyze historical sources can also be applied to current sources of information, such as newspaper articles, social media posts, television reports, and commercial advertisements. By practicing these skills now, you will not only develop your ability to perform historical research and think like a historian, you will also become a more skilled consumer of information in general. To complete this assignment, download the submission template below. You will return the completed template as your Touchstone submission. Touchstone 4: Analyzing Primary Sources Template Touchstone 4: Analyzing Primary Sources Sample In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI .
Step 1: Choose Two Primary Sources
Review the U.S. History I Touchstone Primary Sources List and select two primary sources from the list for your assignment. The primary sources you choose should come from different time periods. Submissions that analyze primary sources that are not on the provided list will be returned ungraded.
Step 2: Read and Analyze Each Source
Read and analyze each source by following the instructions outlined below. Record your responses in the Touchstone 4: Analyzing Primary Sources Template .
Part 1: Meet the Primary Source
· What type of primary source is this?
· Types could include a letter, speech, court transcript, legislation, diary entry, photograph, artifact, map, broadside, circular, political cartoon, artwork, etc.
· Provide a brief description of something you notice about the source, as if you were explaining to someone who can’t see it.
· For example, you might describe its physical appearance, its formal title (if it has one), its type of language, its size or length, or anything else in particular that stands out to you.
Part 2: Observe its Parts
· Who wrote it or created it? Was it one person, or was it a group, like an organization?
· When was it written or otherwise created?
· What are two things you know about the personal background or beliefs of the person or group who created it?
· Was the source meant to be public or private? If public, who do you think was the intended audience?
· You may need to use the internet to help you research these questions.
Part 3: Interpret its Meaning: Historical Context
· Describe two other things that were happening at the time the source was created.
· Careful! In some cases, this could be different from the time the source describes or portrays.
· How does that context (or background information) help you understand why it was created?
If needed, revisit the U.S. History I tutorials. The four time periods in the Primary Source List correspond to the four Units of the course. Navigate to the most relevant course unit and explore tutorials. Then find information to relate each primary source to its specific historical context.
Part 4: Interpret its Meaning: Main Point and Purpose
· What is the main idea or point of the source? Use specific evidence from the source itself to support your answer.
· Why do you think this primary source was made? Provide evidence from your prior responses to support your answer.
· For example, was its purpose simply to inform? To persuade? To sensationalize? Or something else?
Part 5: Use it as Historical Evidence
· What are two historical questions this source could help you to answer?
· What are two pieces of information the source presents that you should “fact check” (verify as true) by checking other primary or secondary sources?
· This primary source shows one perspective on this event or topic. What are two other perspectives you should get to better understand this event or topic, and why?
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
❒ Did you select two primary sources from the Touchstone 4: Primary Source List? ❒ Did you select sources from different time periods? ❒ Did you complete all sections of the template for both sources? ❒ Did you review the grading rubric and compare it to your responses? ❒ Did you review the sample to see an example of a completed assignment? ❒ Did you proofread your work for proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization?
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U.S. History I Touchstone Primary Sources List by Sophia
Review the following Primary Source List and select two primary sources from the list for your assignment.
The primary sources you choose should come from different time periods.
Settling the Americas, 10,000 BCE – 1700
Privileges and Prerogatives Granted by Their Catholic Majesties to Christopher Columbus:
avalon.law.yale.edu/15th_century/colum.asp
Letter of Christopher Columbus on his First Voyage to America:
nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/amerbegin/contact/text1/columbusletter.pdf
Excerpts from Nova Britannia: dp.la/primary-source-sets/powhatan-people-and-the-english-at-
jamestown/sources/1403
Richard Frethorne's Letter to his Mother and Father, concerning the experiences of an indentured servant:
www.virtualjamestown.org/frethorne.html
The Mayflower Compact: constitutioncenter.org/education/classroom-resource-
library/classroom/mayflower-compact
John Winthrop Dreams of a City on a Hill: www.americanyawp.com/reader/colliding-cultures/john-
winthrop-dreams-of-a-city-on-a-hill-1630/
Map of North America from the Moll Atlas: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/map-north-america-
1712
John Lawson Encounters Native Americans: www.americanyawp.com/reader/colliding-cultures/john-
lawson-encounters -north-american-indians-1709/
Examination of Bridget Bishop, as Recorded by Samuel Parris: salem.lib.virginia.edu/n13.html#n13.1
Germantown Friends' Protest Against Slavery: www.loc.gov/resource/rbpe.14000200/?st=text
The Road to Revolution, 1600-1783
The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street, Boston on March 5th 1770 by a Party of the 29th Reg:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/bloody-massacre-king-street
The Bostonian's Paying the Excise-Man, or Tarring & Feathering:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/bostonians-paying-exciseman
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The Battle of Bunker’s Hill: artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/41
The Able Doctor, or America Swallowing the Bitter Draught:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/able-doctor-draught
Deposition of Captain John Parker Concerning the Battle at Lexington:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/john-parker-lexington
The Battle of Lexington, April 1775: www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.39753/
Boston Non-Importation Agreement, August 1, 1768:
avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/boston_non_importation_1768.asp
Patrick Henry, Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death: avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/patrick.asp
William Jackson, an Importer; at the Brazen Head: www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?item_id=365
Virtual Representation: www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0808-4531
By the King, A Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/by-the-king-a-proclamation-for-suppressing-rebellion-and-
sedition
The New Nation, 1776-1840
George Washington’s First Inaugural Address: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/washington-first-
inaugural
Memorial From the Yearly Meeting of the Quakers: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/1-memorial-
yearly-meeting
Illustrated Family Record: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/illustrated-family-record
Naturalization Act of 1790: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/naturalization-act-of-1790
Petition Against the Slave Trade: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/petition-against-the-slave-
trade
Sedition Act of 1798: www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=4126
Congressional Pugilists: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/388906
Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/act-prohibit-
importation-slaves
Testimony of Deborah Sampson Gannett: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/testimony-deborah-
sampson-gannett
President Jefferson's Message About Lewis and Clark's Discoveries:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/discoveries-lewis-clark
Speech of Captain Meriwether Lewis to the Otto Indians: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/lewis-
speech-otto
Cherokee Petition Protesting Removal: www.americanyawp.com/reader/manifest-destiny/cherokee-
petition-protesting-removal-1836/
A Nation Divided, 1800-1877
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Bill of Sale for a Slave Named George: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/bill-of-sale-for-slave-
named-george
The Declaration of Sentiments: sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/senecafalls.asp
Anti-Slavery Petition from the Women of Philadelphia:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/antislavery-petition-women-philadelphia
The Way They Go To California: www.loc.gov/item/91481165/
Westward the Course of Empire Take Its Way: americanart.si.edu/artwork/westward-course-empire-takes-
its-way-mural-study-us-capitol-14569
Declaration of Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the
Federal Union: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/declaration-of-immediate-causes-which-
induce-and-justify-the-secession-of-south-carolina-from-the-federal-union
"To Colored Men!" Broadside: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/to-colored-men
"Wanted! 200 Negroes" Broadside: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/broadside-titled-wanted-
200-negroes
“Colored Soldiers! Equal State Rights! And Monthly Pay with White Men!” Circular:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/circular-colored-soldiers
House Joint Resolution Proposing an Amendment to Prohibit Congress from Abolishing Slavery:
www.docsteach.org/documents/document/amendment-prohibit-abolishing-slavery
Lincoln's Recommendation for Gradual Emancipation: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/lincoln-
gradual-emancipation
A Petition for Universal Suffrage: www.docsteach.org/documents/document/petition-prohibit-
disfranchisement
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Analyzing Primary Sources by Sophia
In this tutorial, we will explore the types of evidence that historians use to create narratives about the
past. The history-making process entails more than thinking about past events and creating stories
from those thoughts. Historians use evidence from the past and the views of fellow historians to
create their own version of how things happened. We will explore this history-making process by
taking an in-depth look at the sources that historians use and discuss how historians think about
these sources.
Our discussion will break down like this:
1. Primary Versus Secondary Sources
Historians have an astonishing array of tools at their disposal when they are engaging in the history-making process. They can use evidence from a number of sources including, but not limited to (a) oral interviews, (b) posters, (c) newspapers, (d) laws, (e) census data, (f) pictographs, (g) novels, (h) political cartoons, (i) maps, and (j) journals.
All of these represent examples of primary sources, or firsthand accounts/evidence from the time period that a historian is writing about or studying. Primary sources provide the foundation for any historical narrative.
TERM TO KNOW
Primary Source
Firsthand accounts/evidence from the time period that a historian is writing about or studying.
For example, we know that the Salem Witch Trials occurred in late-17th-century New England. We know this because a significant number of primary sources related to the event exist, including examinations of suspected witches, courtroom proceedings, and warrants for arrests.
WHAT'S COVERED
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This image shows the court indictment of Mary Taylor. Using this primary source, historians can conclude that (a)
Mary Taylor lived in Salem; (b) she lived there until at least 1692; and (c) town members believed she had formed a
“covenant with the devil,” which amounted to an accusation of witchcraft. All of this information is contained in this
document.
If a historian wanted to investigate the Salem Witch Trials, they would find more primary sources similar to this one and create a story around these pieces of evidence. Historians can locate primary sources in a number of different places. Libraries and archives are an obvious choice, but historians can also find primary sources in local court buildings, federal offices, and historical societies. A number of primary sources are also becoming available on the internet.
Historians find and examine primary sources. Most importantly, they develop questions as they conduct research. For instance, why did town members accuse Taylor of making a “covenant with the devil"? What did such a phrase mean? Why was Mary Taylor singled out in the first place? These are just some of the questions a historian could develop while researching primary sources.
Unless a historian is studying an obscure event, the chances are high that someone has written about it. Thus, historians also refer to secondary sources or works by historians or other writers that contain interpretations of primary sources. Historians can develop their own interpretation of a historical event with assistance from secondary sources.
TERM TO KNOW
Secondary Source
Pieces of work that contain analyses of primary sources that relate to past events.
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Secondary sources are the textbooks and history books that historians use to provide context for what they are writing about. They are used for learning more about the time period being studied, for fact-checking information it is written about, and as a jump-off point to expand the historical period in question. For example, a historian might read Emerson W. Baker's A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Witch Trials and the American Experience before writing their own history of people like Mary Taylor.
Remember that historians’ interpretations of past events change over time. A good rule of thumb is that the best secondary sources are the ones published most recently. Secondary sources can also include things like movies, documentaries, magazine articles, and websites; however, not all secondary sources are created equal. Historians generally rely on secondary sources that have been created by other historians.
⚙ THINK ABOUT IT
Would this tutorial qualify as a secondary source or a primary source? Why?
2. How to Read a Primary Source
One reason that historians take secondary source work seriously is that primary sources cannot always be taken at face value. Sometimes, there is evidence of bias in primary sources. Bias means: to have a particular perspective on something that is not objective or is without prejudice or persuasive intent. When an author creates a primary source, potential bias is created through the author’s (a) background, (b) personal beliefs, (c) intended audience, and (d) purpose for writing. In addition to potential bias, sometimes the source can be read in different contexts. At times, there lacks a clear path on how to use a primary source.
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This image shows the plans of a ship that would have been used by enslavers during the Atlantic slave trade. The
image appears as a straightforward and unbiased representation of one way that enslaved Africans were shipped
across the Atlantic.
When put into the context of the trade of enslaved persons, we can see the ways that traders tried to maximize profit by putting African men, women, and children in cramped and confined conditions. The image shows over 450 people being crammed into small and confined spaces. But we also know, from other evidence like ship manifests, that ships like this often left the shores of Africa with up to 600 captured individuals on board. The image does not provide this information, but when used with other pieces of
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evidence (from primary or secondary sources), a more accurate story can be told.
When examined without a critical eye, this image depicts a tightly packed and inhumane means of transport that highlights the misery of the Middle Passage. But if you think about it critically or examine this primary source alongside other primary and secondary sources, a clearer picture emerges. On its own, this image underrepresents what actually occurred during the Atlantic slave trade. When combined with ship manifests, historians could derive estimates of how many Africans died while traveling the Middle Passage. Sometimes, information on how a primary source was used is also helpful. For instance, the image above was widely published as antislavery propaganda. Thus, when viewed critically rather than at face value, this image provided historians and the antislavery movement information about the trade of enslaved persons.
Primary sources can be tricky and are definitely better served when thought about both critically and historically. There are a variety of ways in which historians think about primary sources. The perspective might change depending on whom you ask. There is, however, a straightforward and easy-to-remember way to approach primary sources.
During your early school years, you were probably asked to remember these six questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. These are excellent starter questions to approach every primary source with. Whenever you come across a primary source, ask yourself:
Who wrote this? Who is it about? Who is the audience?
What is happening in the source? What is the purpose? What does the ordering of the ideas tell you
about the project and its argument?
When was it written?
Where was it written?
Why does this source exist in the first place?
How is this source constructed?
There are many ways to ask these questions; the more questions you ask the more you are likely to learn.
Some questions can be tricky (e.g., how questions). This is why secondary sources are so important. They
help you understand the context of a source and familiarize you with the author’s perspective and voice. This
makes these questions less complicated.
TRY IT
Take this image and ask yourself all of the questions listed previously. Use the internet to research
possible answers.
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3. How to Think Like a Historian
By applying these questions to primary and secondary sources, you will begin to think like a historian. Primary sources can be complex, so you should use historical and critical thinking skills when examining them. Critical thinking is a tricky concept to define, but it fundamentally means creating a clear, self-directed, and evidence- based judgment on a topic. In other words, when creating stories about the past the historian needs to take a responsible approach, judge the evidence at hand, and create a story with the information.
TERM TO KNOW
Critical Thinking
Clear, self-directed, and evidence-based judgment on a topic.
One way that historians do this is by thinking historically about an event and its related primary sources. This can be accomplished through a variety of intellectual channels, but an easy one to remember is to think in terms of the five Cs, seen in the next table (Andrews & Burke, 2007).
The 5 Cs
Change over time Remember that history happens over a period of time. People, events, and ideas change
over any period of time.
Context
Think about historical events and about primary source evidence in terms of their greater
context. Anything you read that was written in the past was not created in a vacuum.
Similarly, anything that happened in the past was not isolated from the social, cultural,
economic, and political setting in which it occurred. That context informs the ways in
which we should think about historical events, or about primary source evidence, today.
Causality
Everything has multiple causes and effects. For example, the American Civil War did not
occur out of nowhere. Before the first shot was fired, a long history of conflict and debate
set the stage. Primary sources were also caused by something or somethings.
This means that everything is related. Similar to context and causality, the historian
understands that nothing happens on its own. Historians think about how later events or
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Contingency historical trends are influenced by earlier ones. In the same way, historians think about
the ways a primary source is related to other primary sources and identify connections
between multiple pieces of evidence and historical scenarios.
Complexity
We live in a complicated world. There was no single reason why the Revolutionary War
took place. Historians understand this and create historical narratives that reflect a world
full of different meanings and perspectives.
This tutorial has covered the tools that historians use when creating stories about the past. They
locate primary-source evidence from the past, critically examine evidence and ask questions, assess
them alongside secondary sources other historians have created, and develop a narrative.
Throughout the research and writing process, historians engage with questions related to the five Ws
and the five Cs in order to account for bias and to write objective interpretations of the past.
Source: This tutorial curated and/or authored by Matthew Pearce, Ph.D with content adapted from Openstax “U.S. History”. access for free at openstax.org/details/books/us-history LICENSE: CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 4.0 INTERNATIONAL
REFERENCES Andrews, T., & Burke, F. (2007, January). What does it mean to think historically? Retrieved October 26, 2016, from www.historians.org/research-and-publications/perspectives-on-history/january-2007/what-does-it- mean-to-think-historically
ATTRIBUTIONS
Image of Indictment | License: Public Domain
Image of Immigration | License: Public Domain
Image of Slaveship | License: Public Domain
Critical Thinking
Clear, self-directed, and evidence-based judgement on a topic.
Primary Source
Firsthand accounts/evidence from the time period that a historian is writing about or studying.
Secondary Source
Pieces of work that contain analyses of primary sources that relate to events that have already taken
place in the past.
SUMMARY
TERMS TO KNOW
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- Analyzing Primary Sources
- 1. Primary Versus Secondary Sources
- 2. How to Read a Primary Source
- 3. How to Think Like a Historian
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Name: US History I Sample
Date: 3/31/2022
US History I
Touchstone 4: Analyzing Primary Sources Template
Complete the following template, including all parts, for each primary source you chose from the Touchstone 4: Primary Source List. Fill out all cells using complete sentences.
|
Part 1: Meet the Primary Source |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
|
Write the title of the primary source from the Touchstone 4: Primary Source List, and paste the web link here. NOTE: The sample submission analyzes primary sources that do not appear on the Touchstone 4: Primary Source List. |
"The Bostonians in Distress" |
“Letter from a freedman to his old master” https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/reconstruction/jourdon-anderson-writes-his-former-master-1865/ |
|
What type of primary source is this? (Types could include a letter, speech, court transcript, legislation, diary entry, photograph, artifact, map, broadside, circular, political cartoon, artwork, etc.) |
“The Bostonians in Distress” is a print. It looks like an early political cartoon. |
This primary source is a letter. |
|
Provide a brief description of something you notice about the source, as if you were explaining to someone who can’t see it. |
The image was originally printed in a London newspaper in 1774. It depicts American colonists from Boston in a cage hanging from a “Liberty Tree.” Cannons and infantry with drums form a cordon around the tree. The infantry are herding flocks of livestock away from the caged men. Three men are feeding them fish by passing them through the bars of the cage with sticks. One of the caged men holds a paper that says, "They cried unto the Lord in their Trouble & he saved them out of their Distress. Psalm cvii 13." Another prisoner has a scroll named “Promises” whereas a man outside the cage has a document saying, “To _ from the Committee of __.” A fleet of ships looms on the horizon. |
The original manuscript has not survived, so this is a transcription of a handwritten letter. In it, former slave Jourdon Anderson writes “ To my old Master, Colonel P. H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee.” There are five paragraphs of text and a date: August 7, 1865. |
|
Part 2: Observe its Parts |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
|
Who wrote it or created it? Was it one person, or was it a group, like an organization? |
Philip Dawe created the image and it was printed by a London printseller, R. Sayer and J. Bennett. |
Former slave Jourdon Anderson wrote this letter. |
|
When was it made? |
The image displays a date of November 19, 1774. |
August 7, 1865. |
|
What are two things you know about the personal background or beliefs of the person or group who created it? |
We may infer information about Philip Dawe from the image. First, Dawe likely sought to portray the colonists of Massachusetts as lawbreakers whose disruptive actions earned their imprisonment. The caged crowd is in a hunger-driven frenzy, two men are fighting over a fish, and the cage hanging from the Liberty Tree resembles a gallows. However, even if Dawe disagreed with their message, the image leaves open the possibility that Dawe sympathized with the colonists’ cause. The caption “The Bostonians in Distress” seems to ask viewers to identify with the prisoners. Dawe’s inclusion of the Bible verse seems to give the caged men a sense of religious authority. |
Jourdon Anderson states he was the slave of Colonel P.H. Anderson (hereafter referred to as “the colonel”). Anderson was enslaved for 32 years but “got my free papers in 1864” from the United States Provost-Marshal General in Tennessee. Jourdon Anderson’s last name is the same as the colonel’s, probably indicating that he adopted or was assigned his master’s last name while enslaved. Anderson has nothing but scorn for slavery and his former master, stating, “We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers.” Further, Anderson now lives in Dayton, Ohio. His letter conveys that he values what the North offers: freedom, paid employment (as opposed to unfree labor), respect for his wife or partner, and a good life and education for his three children. |
|
Was the source meant to be public or private? If public, who do you think was the intended audience? |
Given that the image appeared in a London newspaper, it was meant to be public and reach a wide readership of literate people. The intended audience could include the general public, members of Parliament, colonial administrators and other officials involved in making decisions for Britain’s North American colonies. |
The source is addressed to Anderson’s “old master” in 1865. However, it was republished the same year in Lydia Maria Child’s The Freedmen’s Book. This probably indicates that Anderson intended the letter for wider circulation to prove a point about slavery, especially since Lydia Maria Child was a well-known abolitionist. |
|
Part 3: Interpret its Meaning: Historical Context |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
|
Describe two other things that were happening at the time the source was created. (4-5 sentences) |
1 – Coercive Acts To protest “taxation without representation” and the 1773 Tea Act, colonists dumped tea worth £10,000 into Boston Harbor in what became known as the Boston Tea Party. In response, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts in 1774 to block Boston Harbor off from trade and force the Massachusetts colonial government to answer to Crown officials. The fleet of ships in the image could represent British ships enforcing this blockade. In reaction to the Coercive Acts, colonists formed a Continental Congress composed of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies. The Continental Congress boycotted imported British goods, sent a formal protest to King George III against the Coercive Acts, and took steps toward the raising of militias if the British military tried to use arms to force colonists to accept imported goods. 2 – The Boston Blockade British General Thomas Gage set up a military headquarters in Boston in May 1774 with 3,500 troops and began seizing weapons the colonists had stockpiled. The presence of these troops in Boston can be seen in the image. Tensions between the British soldiers and the colonists were high. Finally, conflict between colonists and British troops broke out in Lexington and Concord in 1775 when colonists attacked a patrol of Gage’s troops moving from Boston to Concord, Massachusetts. |
When the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 freed slaves in Confederate territory, thousands of slaves claimed their freedom and fled to federal troops in the South to get their free papers. These runaways who came under the protection of federal troops were known as “contrabands.” The year 1865 is also regarded as the beginning of Reconstruction, the period of rebuilding the former Confederacy and re-incorporating it into the United States following the war. The Civil War ended in April 1865, four months before Anderson’s letter. The Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery in the United States was proposed in January 1865 and ratified in December of that year. |
|
How does that context (or background information) help you understand why it was created? (4-5 sentences) |
This contextual evidence indicates that Dawe used specific figures in the image to depict events and people in 1774 in Massachusetts. First, the image represents General Gage’s military occupation of Boston. The drilling infantry, cannons and ships represent Gage’s blockade and his strategy to block the colonists from smuggling tea in and out of Boston. The infantry have flocks of livestock with them, again likely representing Gage’s decision to blockade Boston and starve out colonial resistors. Second, the men feeding fish through the cage are probably other colonists trying to aid the hungry Bostonians trapped by the blockade. The cage symbolizes the blockade itself and the imposition of a royal governor (Gage) on Massachusetts. Taken as a whole, this information suggests Dawe was trying to show his audience the dire situation in Boston. |
Anderson states that he got his “free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville,” suggesting he may have run away from the colonel as a contraband. This is also suggested by the fact that the colonel shot twice at Anderson before he left. But Anderson wrote from Dayton, Ohio, where he lived with his partner Mandy. Anderson uses the letter to contrast the relative freedom he has enjoyed in the North with the unpaid toil he was subjected to in the colonel’s household, stating, “as to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score.” As a former slave who now lives in the free North, Anderson depicts the life of a slave as one of subjection, violence, and shame, whereas the North offers the chance to attend church and school and find meaningful work. |
|
Part 4: Interpret its Meaning: Main Points and Purpose |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
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What is the main idea or point of the source? Use specific evidence from the source itself to support your answer. (4-5 sentences) |
It would be a mistake to suggest that this image shows revolutionary or separatist ideals. Independence from Great Britain was not necessarily the first priority of the Committees of Correspondence at the time this image was created. Nevertheless, the main point of the image is to show the widening rift between Great Britain and its colonies as a result of the Coercive Acts, the actions of Committees of Correspondence, and General Gage’s blockade. Evidence from the image supports this. The overwhelming naval and artillery presence seems disproportionate compared to the unarmed men in the cage. Further, Dawe might have been trying to humanize the colonists – they are the main focus of action and the only figures with faces represented, whereas the distant infantrymen have no personality. |
The letter comes from a viewpoint of righteous indignation, perhaps informed by an abolitionist perspective. Anderson mocks slave owners, especially those bold enough to request former slaves to come back to work for them. For example, since Anderson now has a job that pays $25 a month, he makes a dryly humorous demand that the colonel repay his 32 years of labor with $11,680 and directs the colonel to mail the money to an address in Ohio. The tongue-in-cheek request is clearly not one that Anderson expects the colonel to satisfy. Rather, he goes on to remind the colonel of judgment to come: “Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.” |
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Why do you think this primary source was made? Provide evidence from your prior responses to support your claim. (4-5 sentences) |
The image was made to highlight the role of the Coercive Acts in stimulating revolutionary activity. First, the Boston Blockade in 1774 is depicted as a cause of Bostonians’ hunger. Clues from the image, including the ships, the livestock being taken away, and the caption “Bostonians in Distress,” corroborate this. Second, the frenzied faces of the caged men make it look like the colonists’ anger at the Tea Act of 1773 and Coercive Acts of 1774 is about to break out in violence. Third and perhaps most importantly, the image points to colonists’ subversive communications. The documents that say “Promises” and “To _ from the Committee of __” indicate that Bostonians were secretly communicating with Committees of Correspondence during the blockade. |
From these examples it is clear that Anderson is passing judgment on slaveholders. He uses the letter to contrast these traumas with what freedom in the North offers: wage work, education and church attendance. The physical distance between Anderson in Ohio and the colonel in Tennessee now affords Anderson an opportunity to strike back at slavery. Thus, the letter is a slave’s retribution against the master class and is an authentic description of what slaves may have wished to tell slave owners but could not without fear of retaliation. |
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Part 5: Use it as Historical Evidence |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
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What are two historical questions this source could help you to answer? |
The image can help us understand this question: What were the sentiments of the British population regarding the North American colonies? As it was published several months after the Boston Blockade began and printed in a London newspaper, it is a clue that literate Britons of the mid-1770s were thinking about and discussing this topic. Secondly, it suggests another question: What were the causes of the military conflict at the beginning of the American Revolution? The image supports the conclusion that Gage’s blockade was directly related to the subversive activities of the Committees of Correspondence. |
Anderson’s letter helps us understand a question about slave life: What did slaves want to tell their masters without fear of retaliation? With Anderson in Ohio, there is no risk of punishment from the colonel for speaking freely. A second question on which the letter can inform us is: What did newly freed slaves experience in the North? Anderson recounts strikingly different experiences in Tennessee and Ohio. |
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What are two pieces of information the source presents that you should “fact check” (verify as true) by checking other primary or secondary sources? |
It is not immediately clear if the prisoners are sending or receiving the documents – one is in the hand of a prisoner whereas another is on a pile of fish. Further reading may indicate what were the “Promises” that one of the documents alludes to. The image uses three colonists feeding the caged men to suggest that other colonists came to Boston’s aid. Other primary and secondary sources could corroborate this by indicating how many other colonies responded by sending food, militia and weapons to Boston in 1774. Was Boston left to fend for itself or did other colonies send help? |
Anderson states he is responding to an earlier letter that the colonel had sent him, asking him to return to Big Spring, Tennessee to work. By examining the earlier letter we could determine the exact nature of the colonel’s request, including the tone of the letter. We would also be able to determine if Anderson chose not to respond to parts of the letter. This may indicate more about his relationship to the colonel. A second source to consult would be statistical information on the number of contrabands. This would enable one to determine the size and geographic scope of the population of contrabands like Anderson in 1864. |
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This primary source shows one perspective on this topic. What are two other perspectives you should get to better understand this event or topic? |
The source depicts only white, male colonists and British troops. For a more well-rounded understanding of the events leading to the outbreak of the War of Independence, we would need sources by or about women, African Americans, and Native Americans. Secondly, as an image printed in a London newspaper the source seems to depict a British perspective on events. It would be interesting to find similar political cartoons published in Boston, New York or Philadelphia at the same time to compare and contrast colonists’ view with that of Londoners. |
Anderson mentions his partner, Mandy, and two daughters, Milly and Jane. The perspective of female contrabands is something I should pursue to better understand how women experienced self-emancipation. Secondly, Anderson writes from the relative safety of Dayton, Ohio, a state that had previously abolished slavery. Thus, I should also seek writings by freed slaves who remained in the South after the war. |
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Reflection: What perspective do you bring to this topic and source? How does your background and the time in which you live affect your perspective? (4-5 sentences) |
I have some familiarity with the history of pre-revolutionary America from previous education, but my prior learning focused mostly on written documents from this time period, not images. This political cartoon helps provide a visual illustration to familiar events. Reading this source in 2023, in a world saturated in images from TikTok to Youtube to Instagram, it is more important than ever to analyze images critically. Any visual media, whether a political cartoon or a Youtube video, can adjust reality to fit a particular viewpoint. |
From my perspective, this letter fills an important role in informing twenty-first century readers about the legacy of slavery. Although the letter was composed over 150 years ago, it has relevance today because it reveals the long-term impacts of slavery on American society. The generational impacts of slavery and systemic racism are one such example of a connection from this source to the present-day. For instance, Anderson mentions the “violence and wickedness” of slave masters, an environment that prevents children from learning “virtuous habits,” and being made to “toil for you for generations without recompense.” There is no doubt these hardships would affect Anderson and his family, financially and emotionally, even after the abolition of slavery. |
Checklist for Success:
❒ Did you select two primary sources from the Touchstone 4: Primary Source List?
❒ Did you select sources from different time periods?
❒ Did you complete all sections of the template for both sources?
❒ Did you review the grading rubric and compare it to your responses?
❒ Did you review the sample to see an example of a completed assignment?
❒ Did you proofread your work for proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization?
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Name:
Date:
US History I
Touchstone 4: Analyzing Primary Sources Template
Complete the following template, including all parts, for each primary source you chose from the Touchstone 4: Primary Source List. Fill out all cells using complete sentences.
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Part 1: Meet the Primary Source |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
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Write the title of the primary source from the Touchstone 4: Primary Source List, and paste the web link here. NOTE: Submissions that discuss primary sources that are not on the provided list will be returned ungraded. |
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What type of primary source is this? (Types could include a letter, speech, court transcript, legislation, diary entry, photograph, artifact, map, broadside, circular, political cartoon, artwork, etc.) |
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Provide a brief description of something you notice about the source, as if you were explaining to someone who can’t see it. |
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Part 2: Observe its Parts |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
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Who wrote it or created it? Was it one person, or was it a group, like an organization? |
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When was it made? |
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What are two things you know about the personal background or beliefs of the person or group who created it? (4-5 sentences) |
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Was the source meant to be public or private? If public, who do you think was the intended audience? (4-5 sentences) |
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Part 3: Interpret its Meaning: Historical Context |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
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Describe two other things that were happening at the time the source was created. (4-5 sentences) |
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How does that context (or background information) help you understand why it was created? (4-5 sentences) |
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Part 4: Interpret its Meaning: Main Points and Purpose |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
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What is the main idea or point of the source? Use specific evidence from the source itself to support your answer. (4-5 sentences) |
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Why do you think this primary source was made? Provide evidence from your prior responses to support your claim. (4-5 sentences) |
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Part 5: Use it as Historical Evidence |
Primary Source 1 |
Primary Source 2 |
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What are two historical questions this source could help you to answer? |
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What are two pieces of information the source presents that you should “fact check” (verify as true) by checking other primary or secondary sources? |
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This primary source shows one perspective on this topic. What are two other perspectives you should get to better understand this event or topic, and why? (4-5 sentences) |
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Reflection: What perspective do you bring to this topic and source? How does your background and the time in which you live affect your perspective? (4-5 sentences) |
Checklist for Success:
❒ Did you select two primary sources from the Touchstone 4: Primary Source List?
❒ Did you select sources from different time periods?
❒ Did you complete all sections of the template for both sources?
❒ Did you review the grading rubric and compare it to your responses?
❒ Did you review the sample to see an example of a completed assignment?
❒ Did you proofread your work for proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization?
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