Grade: Grade 7 Subject: Social Studies Unit: Source Analysis 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 firsthand evidence about historical events, people, and ideas.

What Are Primary Sources?

Primary sources include:

  • Written documents: Letters, diaries, speeches, official records, newspapers from the time period
  • Visual materials: Photographs, paintings, maps, political cartoons
  • Physical objects: Clothing, tools, buildings, coins
  • Oral accounts: Interviews, recorded speeches, oral histories

The SOAP Method for Analyzing Primary Sources

Use SOAP to systematically analyze any primary source:

  • S - Subject: What is this source about? What is the main topic or event?
  • O - Occasion: When and where was this created? What was happening at the time?
  • A - Audience: Who was the intended audience? Who was meant to see, read, or use this?
  • P - Purpose: Why was this created? What did the creator want to accomplish?

Evaluating Reliability

Not all primary sources are equally reliable. Consider:

  • How close was the creator to the event?
  • Did the creator have reasons to exaggerate or omit information?
  • Does the source match other evidence from the same time period?
  • What perspective or bias might the creator have had?

Examples

Example 1: Analyzing a Historical Letter

"December 7, 1862 - Dear Mother, We have been marching for three days now. The men are tired and cold, but our spirits remain high. We believe in our cause and trust that victory will come..."

- Letter from a Union soldier during the Civil War

SOAP Analysis:

  • Subject: Life as a soldier during the Civil War, specifically a military march
  • Occasion: December 1862, during the American Civil War
  • Audience: The soldier's mother (private, personal communication)
  • Purpose: To inform his mother of his condition and reassure her about his morale

Reliability considerations: The soldier was a direct participant, making this a firsthand account. However, he may have downplayed hardships to avoid worrying his mother.

Example 2: Analyzing a Political Cartoon

Imagine a cartoon showing a large figure labeled "Monopoly" stepping on smaller figures labeled "Workers" and "Farmers."

SOAP Analysis:

  • Subject: The power of monopolies and their impact on ordinary people
  • Occasion: Likely the Gilded Age (1870s-1900s) when large corporations dominated
  • Audience: Newspaper readers, the general public
  • Purpose: To criticize monopolies and build public support for reform

Reliability considerations: This shows one perspective on monopolies. The cartoonist clearly opposed big business, which shapes how the issue is presented.

Practice

Apply the SOAP method to analyze these primary sources.

1. A diary entry from a teenage girl describes her family's journey on the Oregon Trail in 1847. This source would be classified as:

  1. A secondary source because it was written long ago
  2. A primary source because it is a firsthand account
  3. A tertiary source because it is a personal diary
  4. An unreliable source because it was written by a teenager

2. When analyzing a newspaper article from 1920, which question helps determine the article's purpose?

  1. What color was the newspaper printed in?
  2. How many pages was the entire newspaper?
  3. What was the newspaper trying to convince readers to believe or do?
  4. How much did the newspaper cost?

3. A photograph shows workers building a railroad in 1869. The "Occasion" in SOAP analysis would include:

  1. The photographer's name
  2. The time period and historical context when the photo was taken
  3. The number of workers in the photograph
  4. The type of camera used

4. A political speech was given to a crowd of factory workers in 1912. The "Audience" for this primary source is:

  1. The politician giving the speech
  2. Modern historians studying the speech
  3. The factory workers who attended the speech
  4. The newspaper that printed the speech later

5. A soldier's letter home describes a battle as "a glorious victory" while a historian's account describes the same battle as "a costly stalemate." This difference suggests:

  1. The soldier was lying
  2. The historian made an error
  3. Primary sources may reflect the perspective and purpose of their creators
  4. Letters are not valid primary sources

6. Which of the following would NOT be considered a primary source for studying the American Revolution?

  1. A letter written by George Washington in 1776
  2. A history textbook about the Revolution published in 2020
  3. A British newspaper article from 1775
  4. A painting of the Boston Tea Party made in 1773

7. An advertisement from 1955 shows a family gathered around a new television set. What might this primary source reveal about the time period?

  1. Only the exact price of televisions in 1955
  2. Values, technology, and family life in 1950s America
  3. Nothing useful since it is just an advertisement
  4. Only information about advertising techniques

8. A government census record from 1900 lists a family's names, ages, and occupations. This source is most reliable for determining:

  1. Whether the family was happy
  2. Basic demographic facts about the family
  3. The family's political opinions
  4. What the family ate for dinner

9. When evaluating a primary source's reliability, which factor is MOST important to consider?

  1. How old the source is
  2. The creator's relationship to the events and possible motivations
  3. Whether the source is written or visual
  4. How many pages the source contains

10. A museum displays a sword used in a medieval battle. As a primary source, this artifact can tell us about:

  1. The thoughts of the soldier who used it
  2. Weapon-making technology and materials of the time period
  3. Who won the battle
  4. Why the battle was fought

Check Your Understanding

Review these key concepts before moving on:

  • Can you explain the difference between primary and secondary sources?
  • Can you apply all four parts of SOAP (Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose) to a new source?
  • Can you identify factors that affect a primary source's reliability?
  • Can you explain why the same event might be described differently in different primary sources?

Next Steps

  • Practice applying SOAP analysis to primary sources you encounter in your textbook or online
  • Compare how the same event is described in two different primary sources
  • Move on to the next lesson: Maps and Data