1answer.
Ask question
Login Signup
Ask question
All categories
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Business
  • History
  • Health
  • Geography
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Computers and Technology
  • Arts
  • World Languages
  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
  • SAT
  • Medicine
  • Law
  • Engineering
vivado [14]
3 years ago
14

What four things should you look for when analyzing sources in history?

History
1 answer:
skad [1K]3 years ago
7 0

When you analyze a primary source, you are undertaking the most important job of the historian. There is no better way to understand events in the past than by examining the sources--whether journals, newspaper articles, letters, court case records, novels, artworks, music or autobiographies--that people from that period left behind.

Each historian, including you, will approach a source with a different set of experiences and skills, and will therefore interpret the document differently. Remember that there is no one right interpretation. However, if you do not do a careful and thorough job, you might arrive at a wrong interpretation.

In order to analyze a primary source you need information about two things: the document itself, and the era from which it comes. You can base your information about the time period on the readings you do in class and on lectures. On your own you need to think about the document itself. The following questions may be helpful to you as you begin to analyze the sources:

1. Look at the physical nature of your source. This is particularly important and powerful if you are dealing with an original source (i.e., an actual old letter, rather than a transcribed and published version of the same letter). What can you learn from the form of the source? (Was it written on fancy paper in elegant handwriting, or on scrap-paper, scribbled in pencil?) What does this tell you?

2. Think about the purpose of the source. What was the author's message or argument? What was he/she trying to get across? Is the message explicit, or are there implicit messages as well?

3. How does the author try to get the message across? What methods does he/she use?

4. What do you know about the author? Race, sex, class, occupation, religion, age, region, political beliefs? Does any of this matter? How?

5. Who constituted the intended audience? Was this source meant for one person's eyes, or for the public? How does that affect the source?

6. What can a careful reading of the text (even if it is an object) tell you? How does the language work? What are the important metaphors or symbols? What can the author's choice of words tell you? What about the silences--what does the author choose NOT to talk about?

Now you can evaluate the source as historical evidence.

1. Is it prescriptive--telling you what people thought should happen--or descriptive--telling you what people thought did happen?

2. Does it describe ideology and/or behavior?

3. Does it tell you about the beliefs/actions of the elite, or of "ordinary" people? From whose perspective?

4. What historical questions can you answer using this source? What are the benefits of using this kind of source?

5. What questions can this source NOT help you answer? What are the limitations of this type of source?

6. If we have read other historians' interpretations of this source or sources like this one, how does your analysis fit with theirs? In your opinion, does this source support or challenge their argument?

Remember, you cannot address each and every one of these questions in your presentation or in your paper, and I wouldn't want you to.



hope it helps

You might be interested in
How may the president of the u.s formally check the u.s supreme court
Cloud [144]

Answer:

Once Congress has passed a bill, the president has the power to veto that bill. In turn, Congress can override a regular presidential veto by a two-thirds vote of both houses. ... By passing amendments to the Constitution, Congress can effectively check the decisions of the Supreme Court.

Explanation:

8 0
3 years ago
Read 2 more answers
Giant stone sculptures, such as those in the photo above, were carved by the __________ civilization. A. Maya B. Oaxaca C. Olmec
nirvana33 [79]

The correct answer is:

C. Olmec

The Olmec civilization used to create stone representations of human heads sculpted from large basalt boulders, these are called " Olmec colossal heads". The heads date from at least 900 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica.



4 0
2 years ago
Read 2 more answers
The “Dress Rehearsal” to WW2 was the Nazis and Italian Fascists bombing cities in *
tatuchka [14]

Answer: Spain.

Explanation:

The Spanish Civil War was described as "dress rehearsal", because the bombing of Spanish cities by Nationalist rebels with the support of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, allowed them to test new weapons later used in World War II, like the He-111 and Do-17 bombers.

Particularly, gruesome was the bombing of Guernica, later depicted in Pablo Picasso´s painting because it was a military air force attack over civilians, which is considered as a war crime.

5 0
3 years ago
Where in the world did the age of exploration begin?​
Solnce55 [7]

Answer:

here you go

Explanation:

The Age of Exploration began in the nation of Portugal under the leadership of Henry the Navigator. Henry sent out ships to map and explore the west coast of Africa. They went further south than any previous European expedition and mapped much of western Africa for the Portuguese.

8 0
3 years ago
What are the four reasons that we did nothing to stop hitler ​
sergij07 [2.7K]

Answer:

I believe 2 reasons are:

1.) The U.S didn't know what Hitler was doing until after the war

2.) The U.S wasn't sure how destructive he would be

4 0
3 years ago
Other questions:
  • Which state has been home to the most U.S. presidents? Ohio New York Massachusetts Virginia
    14·2 answers
  • William “Big Bill” Haywood was a staunch proponet of the rights of unskilled laborers.
    10·1 answer
  • True or false California was added to the union as a result of the revolutionary war
    8·1 answer
  • How many Representatives are there for the state of Pennsylvania in the US House of Representatives?
    9·1 answer
  • PLZ HELP WILL GIVE BRAINLIEST
    6·2 answers
  • The Yucatan Peninsula was home to the _____________.
    8·1 answer
  • Why did kings want the right to appoint bishops?
    5·2 answers
  • What are some differences between the The General Assembly and the Civil Rights Movement
    12·1 answer
  • What safety values provided an escape for discontented American workers and lessened exploitation of laborers in the United Stat
    5·1 answer
  • The articles of confederation allows congress to :1.make and borrow money 2. Declare war 3. Create a postal service 4. All the a
    11·1 answer
Add answer
Login
Not registered? Fast signup
Signup
Login Signup
Ask question!