Grade: Grade 5 Subject: Social Studies Unit: US History Foundations SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Primary Source Analysis

📖 Learn

Historians are like detectives. They use primary sources—original documents, letters, diaries, and artifacts from the past—to understand what really happened in history. In this lesson, you will learn how to analyze primary sources from early American history like a real historian!

📜 What Is a Primary Source?

A primary source is something created during the time period you are studying. It gives you a firsthand account of events, people, or places. Primary sources include letters, diaries, photographs, maps, newspaper articles, official documents, and even objects like tools or clothing from that era.

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary Sources	Secondary Sources
Created during the time being studied	Created after the time being studied
Firsthand accounts and original documents	Interpretations based on primary sources
Examples: Letters, diaries, photographs, artifacts	Examples: Textbooks, documentaries, biographies
Written or made by people who were there	Written by people who studied the event later

Steps for Analyzing Primary Sources

Observe

Look carefully at the source. What do you see? Note details about format, handwriting, images, or objects.

Identify

Who created this? When? Where? What type of source is it (letter, diary, document)?

Contextualize

What was happening at this time in history? How does this source fit into the bigger picture?

Analyze

What is the main message? Why was this created? What can we learn from it?

Question

Is this source reliable? Does the author have a bias? What might be missing?

Key Questions to Ask

Who?

Who created this source? Who was the intended audience?

What?

What type of source is this? What is it about?

When?

When was this created? What was happening at that time?

Where?

Where was this created? Where did the events take place?

Why?

Why was this source created? What was the purpose?

How?

How does this source help us understand history?

Example: Analyzing a Colonial Letter

Letter from a Colonial Farmer

"Dear Brother,

The harvest this year has been bountiful, praise be to Providence. We have gathered enough corn and wheat to see us through the winter months. The children grow strong, though Mary still misses the comforts of England. The taxes levied by Parliament grow heavier each season, and many in our village speak openly of resistance. I pray these troubles pass, but fear dark days lie ahead.

Your devoted brother,
Thomas"

— Virginia Colony, October 1773

Analyzing This Letter

Who: Thomas, a colonial farmer in Virginia, writing to his brother
What: A personal letter about farm life and political tensions
When: October 1773, just before the Boston Tea Party
Where: Virginia Colony
Why: To update family and share concerns about British taxes
What we learn: Colonists were prospering but worried about British policies; resistance was growing

Another Example: The Mayflower Compact

From the Mayflower Compact (1620)

"We whose names are underwritten... do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic... to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws... as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience."

— Signed aboard the Mayflower, November 11, 1620

Historian's Tip: Always consider the author's perspective. A letter from a British soldier would describe the Revolutionary War very differently than a letter from a colonial patriot. Both are valuable, but neither tells the complete story alone!

Why Primary Sources Matter

They give us direct evidence from the past
They help us hear the voices of real people who lived through history
They allow us to form our own interpretations
They can reveal details that textbooks might miss
They help us understand different perspectives on the same events

💡 Examples

Test your primary source analysis skills!

📜 Source Detective Challenge Score: 0/6

✏️ Practice

Read each primary source excerpt and answer the questions that follow.

1 Read this excerpt and identify what type of primary source it is:

"June 15, 1775. The redcoats arrived at dawn. We could see their bayonets glinting in the morning sun. Father says we must hide in the cellar if they come to our farm. I am frightened but trying to be brave for my younger sisters."

AA newspaper article

BA diary entry

CA government document

DA textbook passage

2 What can we learn about the author's feelings from this source?

"The stamp tax is an outrage! We are Englishmen and deserve the rights of Englishmen. How dare Parliament tax us when we have no voice in their decisions? I say we must resist!"

AThe author supports British taxes

BThe author is angry about taxation without representation

CThe author wants to move back to England

DThe author is happy with colonial life

3 Which of these is a PRIMARY source about the Boston Tea Party?

AA chapter about the Boston Tea Party in your social studies textbook

BA documentary film made in 2020 about colonial protests

CA letter written by Samuel Adams in December 1773 describing the event

DA historian's book analyzing the causes of the American Revolution

4 Why is it important to consider WHO created a primary source?

ABecause older sources are always more accurate

BBecause the creator's perspective and potential bias affect what they wrote

CBecause only famous people created reliable sources

DBecause we need to know if they had good handwriting

5 Read this source. When was it most likely written?

"General Washington has led our brave soldiers to victory at Yorktown! The British have surrendered. After so many years of struggle, independence is finally within our grasp."

A1620

B1776

C1781

D1850

6 Which question would help you understand the CONTEXT of a primary source?

AWhat color ink was used?

BWhat major events were happening when this was created?

CHow many pages is the document?

DIs the handwriting neat?

7 A colonial merchant writes: "Trade with England has made me wealthy." A colonial farmer writes: "British taxes have ruined me." What does this show about primary sources?

AOne of them must be lying

BDifferent people can have different experiences of the same time period

COnly the farmer's account is accurate

DPrimary sources are not reliable

8 Which of these would be a primary source for studying colonial daily life?

AA museum exhibit about colonial cooking

BA recipe written by a colonial housewife in 1750

CA modern cookbook featuring colonial recipes

DA Wikipedia article about colonial food

Check Your Understanding

Primary Sources

Original documents, letters, diaries, and artifacts created during the time period being studied.

Secondary Sources

Works created after the fact that interpret or analyze primary sources, like textbooks.

5 Steps

Observe, Identify, Contextualize, Analyze, and Question every primary source.

Who-What-When-Where-Why

Ask these key questions to understand any primary source.

Perspective Matters

Different people experienced history differently. Consider the author's point of view.

Think Critically

Consider bias, reliability, and what information might be missing.

Key Takeaways

Primary sources are original materials from the time period you are studying
They include letters, diaries, documents, photographs, and artifacts
Always ask Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How when analyzing sources
Consider the author's perspective and potential biases
Multiple sources help us understand history more completely

Next Steps

Practice analyzing maps and data visualizations in the next lesson
Look for primary sources at your local library or museum
Try reading the Declaration of Independence as a primary source
Compare accounts of the same event from different perspectives