Ready? Write the following quote: “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword.” What do you think it means?

Document Analysis To better understand events from the past, historians study all kinds of information. The information can be divided into two different categories: primary and secondary sources.

Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources: Created at the time of the event by an eyewitness. Usually some type of a document. They tell a first-hand account of the event.

Primary Sources… Some examples of primary sources: Original Letters Diaries Photographs

Secondary Sources Overview of an event with information from other sources. The author was often NOT an eyewitness to the event.

Secondary Sources Some examples of secondary sources: Newspaper articles Encyclopedia articles Textbooks

Test your Knowledge! Identify if the following sources are primary or secondary

A piece of the original Magna Carta signed by King John in 1215 Primary Secondary

The Mona Lisa painted by Davinci in Primary Secondary

A book about George Washington written in PrimarySecondary

A mug made in Primary Secondary

Roman Coins made by the Romans in AD45. Primary Secondary

COMPACT= an agreement or a covenant (agreement in writing)

In 1215, King John of England was forced to sign a Great Charter stating that the king could not raise taxes without the approval of his fellow noblemen. This Great Charter, also known as the Magna Carta, established the concept that the power of the monarchy was limited. In essence, the king was not above the law.

In 1689, the English Bill of Rights took the idea of limiting the power of the monarchy one step further. It stated that the power to make laws comes from the people’s representatives. It also included a list or bill of rights that belonged to the people. The influence of the English Bill of Rights can be seen in the U.S. Bill of Rights.

The Mayflower Compact (agreement) was drafted in 1620 prior to settlement by the Pilgrims at Plymouth Bay in Massachusetts. It declared that the 41 males who signed it agreed to accept majority rule and participate in a government in the best interest of all members of the colony. While not a constitution, the agreement set the precedent for later documents outlining commonwealth rule.

The House of Burgesses was founded in 1619 to create the laws for Virginia. This was the first representative government in the New World. Burgess = Representative Only wealthy, White, property owning males could be a burgess.

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was the first written constitution in the American colonies, prepared as the covenant (agreement) for the new Puritan community in Connecticut, established in the 1630s. It established a precedent for written constitutions in the colonies.

Relationship of these documents with the US Constitution Mayflower Compact – Considered the first social contract and plan of government, and a foundation of the United States Constitution.

Relationship these documents with the US Constitution Fundamental Orders of Connecticut First written constitution in the American colonies, included some of the basic ideas later expressed in the Constitution.

Relationship of these documents with the US Constitution Magna Carta – Original document limiting the power of the King and setting the precedent for many of the ideas later expressed in the Constitution.

Relationship of these documents with the US Constitution English Bill of Rights – Basis for the first ten amendments to the Constitution, otherwise known as the Bill of Rights.

Importance of Early Colonial Documents Establish representative government. The growth of representative government in colonial America: Allowed the colonists to make their own laws.

Importance of the Mayflower Compact It established principles of government for the new colony. The English Bill of Rights establishes Parliament's power to make laws and reserves some basic rights for citizens