Primary Source Analysis
LINK TO DOCUMENT: http://web.mit.edu/21h.102/www/Primary%20source%20collections/Reconstruction/Colby,%20Testimony.htm
Read the primary Analysis “Testimony of Abram Colby” and answer the following questions in complete sentences:
1. What is the title of your primary source and who wrote or created the document? How does this affect the tone of the document?
This is will provide the Point-of-View of the document and present any possible biases that may exist in its creation.
2. Who is the intended audience? Explain why that matters to this document.
The audience is important as it can often provide the purpose of why the document was created. For example, speeches are often made to persuade a group of people, letters to communicate ideas or thoughts, and diary/journal entries to provide a historical record for the individual. Identifying the audience is vital to understanding the purpose of a document.
3. Summarize the main idea of the document in two to three complete sentences.
What idea/thought/argument is the writer/speaker trying to convey.
4. What details or quotes lead you to your conclusion about the main idea? Cite the most powerful line of the document – why did you find it significant?
5. What is the historical significance of the document? How does it relate or connect to issues we deal with in today’s society? Be specific as possible.
What led to the creation of this document, or what did it lead to? Is there a connection between then and now. Is the document still impactful today? Could it be? How can history affect our current situations?
