Getting the most out of your documents: one approach to analysis Author- What is the significance of the author? What is his/her bias or perspective? Place and time- How could you show your understanding of the importance of the date within the chronological context of the history? Prior Knowledge- What outside information must we include to put this document in context? Audience- Who is the intended audience? Reason- What was the reason for publication? The Main Idea- What over-arching theme does this demonstrate? Significance- Why is this document important?

“Woodcut of Patriot woman, Marblehead, MA, 1779.” Inferences: –Women participated in the Revolution –Women’s roles were expanding during the Revolution –Hints at potential change for women’s roles Author Place and time Prior Knowledge Audience Reason The Main Idea Significance Republican Motherhood Molly Pitcher Daughters of Liberty

To what extent did the American Revolution fundamentally change American society? In your answer, be sure to address the political, social, and economic effects of the Revolution in the period from 1775 to 1800? Although not dramatically altered, the role of women in Revolutionary society also began to shift due to their participation in the American Revolution. The revolution offered the opportunity for women to further their involvement in political affairs through their participation in the American Revolution as illustrated in Document A. (or just (Doc A)) This was notably seen with the formation of the Daughters of the Revolution and Molly Pitcher’s participation in wartime activities.

If the author is given, it might be appropriate to use the following language to introduce an idea/quote/document

Virginia statute of religious freedom Thomas Jefferson, James Madison Disestablishment of Anglican Church Bill of Rights first amendment Inferences Movement towards freedom of religion and separation of church and state Religious diversity existed in the colonies Demonstrates egalitarian ideals of the revolution

DODON'T -Use a document’s author or main idea as the subject of a sentence. -Cite documents at the end of the sentence by writing (DOC A). -Paraphrase document ideas in your own words or quote 1-5 words appropriately. -Support your thesis with both outside information and document analysis. 50% of the grade for each. -Explain the significance of the documents within the historical context and the context of the argument. -Demonstrate your ability to deal with a variety of documents in different ways. -Use all or almost all the documents. -Argue what you can support with evidence. -Use a document as the subject of a sentence such as, "Document A explains…." -Cite documents by writing (DOCUMENT A). -Cite documents in your introductory paragraph. -Copy more than 5 words to quote from a document. -Merely analyze the documents and ignore outside information. -Plug in quotes or refer to documents without explaining how they relate to your argument, assuming your reader will make the connection -Focus on one specific document. -Use one or two documents. -Only argue what you want to argue.