Grade: Grade 10 Subject: Social Studies Unit: US History Start SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Primary Source Analysis

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Primary sources are original documents, artifacts, or other materials created during the time period being studied. They provide direct evidence about historical events, people, and ideas. Learning to analyze primary sources is essential for understanding American history and developing critical thinking skills tested on the SAT and ACT.

What Are Primary Sources?

Primary sources from the Revolutionary and Early Republic periods include:

  • Official Documents: The Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist Papers, state constitutions
  • Personal Writings: Letters, diaries, journals from figures like George Washington, Abigail Adams, and Thomas Jefferson
  • Published Works: Pamphlets like "Common Sense," newspaper articles, political cartoons
  • Visual Sources: Paintings, engravings, maps, and political cartoons from the era
  • Legal Records: Court cases, treaties, legislative records

The SOAPS Method for Analysis

Use the SOAPS method to systematically analyze any primary source:

  • S - Speaker: Who created this source? What was their background, position, or perspective?
  • O - Occasion: When and where was this created? What events surrounded its creation?
  • A - Audience: Who was the intended audience? How might this affect the content?
  • P - Purpose: Why was this created? To inform, persuade, entertain, or record?
  • S - Subject: What is the main topic or argument? What claims are made?

Evaluating Reliability and Bias

All primary sources reflect the perspective of their creators. Consider:

  • What biases might the author have had?
  • What information might be missing or distorted?
  • How does this source compare to other accounts of the same events?
  • What can we learn despite the limitations?

Examples

Example 1: Analyzing the Declaration of Independence (Excerpt)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

SOAPS Analysis:

  • Speaker: Thomas Jefferson, primary author; adopted by Continental Congress
  • Occasion: July 1776, during the Revolutionary War, formally declaring independence
  • Audience: King George III, British Parliament, American colonists, and foreign nations
  • Purpose: To justify revolution and establish philosophical basis for new government
  • Subject: Natural rights philosophy; government derives power from consent of governed

Example 2: Analyzing a Political Cartoon

Benjamin Franklin's "Join, or Die" cartoon (1754):

  • Speaker: Benjamin Franklin, printer, inventor, and colonial leader
  • Occasion: French and Indian War; call for colonial unity
  • Audience: Colonial newspaper readers
  • Purpose: To persuade colonies to unite against common threats
  • Subject: Colonial disunity as dangerous; unity as survival

Practice

Analyze the following primary sources using the skills you have learned.

1. Read this excerpt from George Washington's Farewell Address (1796):

"The unity of government which constitutes you one people is also now dear to you. It is justly so, for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence."

What is Washington's main argument in this passage?

2. A historian finds a letter written by a Loyalist merchant in 1776. What potential bias should the historian consider when using this source to understand colonial attitudes toward independence?

3. The Federalist Papers were published in New York newspapers in 1787-1788. Who was the primary audience for these essays, and how might that have shaped their content?

4. Compare a primary source (a soldier's diary) with a secondary source (a textbook chapter). What are the advantages and limitations of each type of source?

5. Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" (1776) sold over 500,000 copies. What does this tell us about literacy rates and political engagement in colonial America?

6. Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John: "Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors." What does this letter reveal about women's political awareness during the Revolution?

7. A painting of the signing of the Declaration was created 50 years after the event. Is this a primary or secondary source? Explain your reasoning.

8. Analyze this excerpt from Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech (1775): "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" What rhetorical strategies does Henry use?

9. Why might historians value letters between ordinary citizens (farmers, merchants, soldiers) as much as official government documents?

10. The Constitution does not mention the word "slavery" but contains several provisions related to enslaved people. What might explain this omission, and what does it reveal about the document's authors?

Check Your Understanding

Answer these questions to test your mastery of primary source analysis.

1. What is the key difference between a primary source and a secondary source?

2. Why is understanding the author's purpose essential when analyzing a primary source?

3. How can comparing multiple primary sources about the same event improve historical understanding?

Next Steps

  • Practice analyzing primary sources from different perspectives (Patriots vs. Loyalists)
  • Apply SOAPS analysis to sources you encounter in other classes
  • Move on to Maps and Data to learn geographic and quantitative analysis skills