Analyzing Documents

Primary Sources A document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS: Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news footage, autobiographies, official records CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Secondary Sources A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Publications: Textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias

People living in the past left clues behind about their lives. These clues include primary and secondary sources called the historical record. The historical record is huge Many events were never documented or sources have been lost or destroyed

How can the historical record be huge and limited? MINDWALK

Time and Place Rule The closer in time and place a source and its creator were to an event in the past, the better the source will be.

Bias Rule Every source is biased in some way. Documents only tell us what the creator of the document thought happened, or wants us to think happened.

Published Documents Books Magazines Newspapers Gov. docs Advertisements Maps Pamphlets Posters Laws Court Decisions Bias?

Unpublished Documents Letters Diaries Journals Wills Deeds Family Bibles Business records, ledgers, customer info. Bias?

Oral Histories & Oral Traditions Spoken words passed on from generation to generation Interviews Bias?

Visual Documents and Artifacts Photographs Paintings Films Other artwork Bias?