Grade: Grade 10 Subject: Social Studies Unit: World History Lesson: 3 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Primary Source Analysis

Learn

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 history and developing critical thinking skills tested on the SAT and ACT.

What Are Primary Sources?

Primary sources include:

  • Written documents: Letters, diaries, government records, laws, treaties, newspapers from the era
  • Visual materials: Photographs, paintings, maps, political cartoons, posters
  • Physical artifacts: Tools, clothing, buildings, coins, weapons
  • Audio/video: Speeches, interviews, film footage (for modern history)

The HAPP Method for Source Analysis

Use this framework to analyze any primary source:

  • H - Historical Context: What was happening when this source was created? What events, movements, or conditions shaped its creation?
  • A - Audience: Who was the intended audience? How might this affect what was included or excluded?
  • P - Purpose: Why was this source created? To inform, persuade, entertain, or record?
  • P - Point of View: Who created this source? What perspective, biases, or limitations might they have?

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary sources are created by people who directly experienced or witnessed events. Secondary sources are created later by people analyzing or interpreting primary sources (textbooks, documentaries, scholarly articles).

Evaluating Reliability

No source is perfectly objective. Consider:

  • Was the author present at the events described?
  • How much time passed between the event and the creation of the source?
  • Does the author have reasons to exaggerate, omit, or distort information?
  • Can the information be corroborated by other sources?

Examples

Example 1: Analyzing a Political Speech

Source: Excerpt from Queen Elizabeth I's speech to troops at Tilbury, 1588

"I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too."

HAPP Analysis:

  • Historical Context: The Spanish Armada was approaching England. Elizabeth needed to rally troops for a potential invasion.
  • Audience: English soldiers preparing for battle; also the broader English public.
  • Purpose: To inspire and motivate troops, demonstrate royal leadership, counter doubts about female rule.
  • Point of View: Elizabeth as queen had political reasons to appear strong and unified with her people.

Example 2: Analyzing a Personal Letter

Source: A soldier's letter home from the trenches of World War I

Key considerations:

  • Personal letters often reveal private thoughts but may also protect loved ones from harsh truths
  • Military censorship may have limited what soldiers could write
  • The soldier's education, rank, and background affect their perspective
  • Letters home provide valuable insight into daily life but represent one individual's experience

Example 3: Analyzing a Political Cartoon

When analyzing visual sources, ask:

  • What symbols or visual metaphors are used?
  • Who or what is being criticized or celebrated?
  • What caption or text accompanies the image?
  • What publication originally printed it, and what was that outlet's political stance?

Practice

Apply your primary source analysis skills to these questions.

1. A historian studying the French Revolution finds a pamphlet from 1789 calling for the abolition of noble privileges. What is the most important question to ask about this source?

A) How many pages is the pamphlet?
B) Who wrote the pamphlet and what was their social position?
C) What color ink was used?
D) Where is the pamphlet stored today?

2. Which of the following is a PRIMARY source for studying the American Civil War?

A) A 2020 documentary about the Battle of Gettysburg
B) A textbook chapter on Civil War causes
C) A letter written by a Union soldier to his family in 1863
D) A historian's biography of Abraham Lincoln published in 1995

3. A government propaganda poster from World War II shows factory workers as heroic figures. What should a historian consider about this source's reliability?

A) The poster accurately represents all workers' experiences
B) The government had motivations to present an idealized image
C) Visual sources are always more reliable than written ones
D) Posters from this era cannot be analyzed historically

4. A diary entry from a merchant in Renaissance Florence describes a plague outbreak. What is a potential LIMITATION of this source?

A) Diaries are never useful for historical research
B) The merchant may only describe events affecting their own social class
C) Written sources from this period cannot be trusted
D) Only government documents can describe disease outbreaks

5. When analyzing a speech given by a political leader, which factor is LEAST relevant to understanding the source?

A) The political context in which the speech was delivered
B) The intended audience for the speech
C) The font used in the printed transcript
D) The speaker's goals and motivations

6. A photograph from 1890 shows a family posed formally in their home. What should a historian remember when using this source?

A) Photography in this era often involved careful staging and was not spontaneous
B) Photographs always show exactly what daily life was like
C) Only wealthy families were ever photographed
D) Photographs from the 19th century are not primary sources

7. A newspaper article from 1920 describes women's suffrage. To understand potential bias, a historian should FIRST determine:

A) How many words the article contains
B) The newspaper's editorial stance on women's rights
C) What other articles appeared in the same issue
D) Whether the article includes photographs

8. An archaeologist discovers pottery fragments at an ancient site. As a primary source, these artifacts can reveal information about:

A) Only the religious beliefs of the people who made them
B) Trade networks, technology, and daily life practices
C) Nothing useful without accompanying written records
D) Only the approximate date of the site

9. A treaty signed between two nations in 1648 is a primary source that best reveals:

A) What ordinary people thought about the agreement
B) The official terms and diplomatic positions of the governments involved
C) How successfully the treaty was implemented
D) The long-term consequences of the agreement

10. When comparing two primary sources that give conflicting accounts of the same event, a historian should:

A) Assume the older source is more accurate
B) Discard both sources as unreliable
C) Consider each source's perspective and look for additional corroborating evidence
D) Choose the source that matches their own expectations

Check Your Understanding

Review these key concepts before moving on:

  • Can you distinguish between primary and secondary sources?
  • Can you apply the HAPP method (Historical context, Audience, Purpose, Point of view) to any source?
  • Do you understand why no source is completely objective and how to evaluate reliability?
  • Can you identify potential biases and limitations in different types of sources?

Practice Answers

1. B | 2. C | 3. B | 4. B | 5. C | 6. A | 7. B | 8. B | 9. B | 10. C

Next Steps

  • Practice applying HAPP analysis to sources you encounter in other lessons
  • Look for primary sources in museums, archives, and online databases
  • Continue to the next lesson on maps and data interpretation