1.02 us history
WHAT TYPE OF DOCUMENT IS THIS?
ANSWER: A FORMAL STATEMENT
Preamble of the constitution
The citizens of the United States, to make a better nation... ...create fair laws, keep people safe at home, defend them from enemies, make things better for everyone, and keep safe the benefits of freedom for us and later citizens... ...create this U.S. Constitution.
To find evidence, historians consider questions such as these:
What type of document is this source? For example, is it a government document, a letter, or a journal? When was this document created? Was this document created when an event took place? Was it created after an event? This will tell you whether it is a primary or secondary source. Why was the document written? What evidence in the document explains this? Who wrote this document? Was it a famous individual, a group, or an ordinary person? Who was the intended audience of this document? Was it written for many people to read or just a few? Was it supposed to be public or private? What did the intended audience know that the reader should know about? What is the background of this document? Think about the time, place, author, and audience. What evidence in the document shows this information? Why is this document important to the study of history?
1.
What type of document is this?
Declaration of Independence
When it becomes necessary for a group to dissolve their political association with another country, they should state the reasons for the separation. These facts are obvious: All men are created equal, and they are provided by their creator with certain rights that are impossible to take away, among them life, freedom, and the search for happiness. To assure these rights, men create governments. Governments get their power from the people that they govern. When any government takes away these rights, the people have the right to change or get rid of it, and to form a new government.
2.
When was this document created?
3.
Who was the author of this document?
4.
Who was the intended audience of this document?
8.
Why is this document important to the study of history?
Evidence
a specific part of a source that shows facts and ideas.
7.
a. What is the context of this document?
5.
a. What is the main idea of this document?
6.
a. What was the purpose of this document?
11.
abolish: completely end
15.
blessings of liberty: benefits of freedom
14.
common defense: united efforts to stay safe from foreign enemies
10.
consent of the governed: agreement of citizens to their government
13.
domestic tranquility: safety at home
Secondary source
source created by a person who was not present at or involved with historical event.
Diary Samuel Leavitt's Journal
to Westpoint covers the period of time from July 5, 1780 - October, 1780. It describes Leavitt's experiences as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, including his march to West Point, New York and return to New Hampshire.
9.
unalienable rights: freedoms automatically given to everyone
Photograph Photograph of a soldier during the Civil War
wearing a uniform, including a hat, while carrying a powder horn and holding a rifle.
WHY IS THIS DOCUMENT IMPORTANT TO THE STUDY OF HISTORY?
ANSWER: IT TELLS WHY THE COLONIES REBELLED AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN, AND GIVES IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES THAT UNDERLIE AMERICAN BELIEFS.
WHEN WAS THIS DOCUMENT CREATED?
ANSWER: JULY 4, 1776
WHO WAS THE INTENDED AUDIENCE OF THIS DOCUMENT?
ANSWER: THE BRITISH KING
WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF THIS DOCUMENT?
ANSWER: THE COLONIES ARE FREE OF GREAT BRITAIN
WHY WAS THIS DOCUMENT CREATED?
ANSWER: THE COLONIES HAD DECIDED TO BREAK FREE OF THE OPPRESSIVE BRITISH KING TO FORM THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT.
WHO WAS THE AUTHOR OF THIS DOCUMENT?
ANSWER: THOMAS JEFFERSON AND THE COMMITTEE OF FIVE, ON BEHALF OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT?
ANSWER: TO TELL THE KING WHY THE COLONIES DECIDED TO REBEL
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Article I, Section 8 says that Congress has "Power To...collect Taxes...to...provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States." Remember that this closely matches the wording of the Preamble, so this is evidence of how the document's authors met their goals.
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Article III, Section 2 requires crimes to be tried by jury—this is evidence of a way to make laws fair.
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Article IV, Section 2 grants the "Citizens of each State...all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States." This means that all citizens are protected equally under national laws, no matter which state they live in. This is evidence of a way to "form a more perfect Union" by joining the states together.
Examine this painting of the Constitutional Convention.
It was painted after the convention, so it is a secondary source. This meeting brought delegates from the states to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had failed as a guide for government. Instead, the delegates wrote a new plan for government—the U.S. Constitution. Notice that some people are more prominent in the painting than others. George Washington stands alone, facing most of the delegates. Benjamin Franklin sits at the center of the painting, looking directly at the viewer. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison are at the front of the room. Consider what the painter was suggesting about the people at the convention. Who did the painter think were the most important delegates? Why do some delegates in the back of the room have their arms raised? What does that tell you about the process of creating a new plan for government? How do the expressions shown in the painting connect with emotions of government leaders today? What does that tell you about the difficulties of governing a nation?
Map Field of Gettysburg,
July 1st, 2nd & 3rd, 1863. Prepared by T. Ditterline, depicting troop and artillery positions, relief by hachures, drainage, roads, railroads, and houses with names of residents.
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So is Section 4, which guarantees "every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government." That section also gives promises that the government will keep the states safe from external invasion and internal violence.
sources can take a variety of forms.
They can be written diaries, letters, or government documents. They can also be photos, maps, or drawings.
How might a historian analyze the Declaration of Independence?
Think back to the questions historians ask about historical documents. They offer a way to interpret the document and look for evidence. Often, historians must also draw on their own knowledge about the past in order to fully understand a document. Because you learned about the Declaration of Independence in an earlier U.S. history course, you should have important historical knowledge that will help you interpret the document fully.
Political Cartoon Cartoon of a dismembered snake
depicting how each of the colonies ought to join to resist the British or die one by one. The colonies New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are identified. Cartoon is believed to have been drawn by Benjamin Franklin.
12.
effect their safety and happiness: cause people to feel secure and able to pursue their needs
Printed Document A printed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation
effectively freeing all slaves in the Confederate states, issued by President Lincoln in 1863.
Interpreting the Preamble allowed you to understand the goals of the writers of the United States Constitution—to establish a nation with a government that
established fair laws, kept people safe and well, protected freedoms, defended the country from attack
Context clues
familiar word or phrase in text that can help the reader determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word or phrase.
Audio sources
historical sources that present information that is heard, such as speeches.
Visual sources
historical sources that present visual information, such as photographs or paintings.
Painting Engraving by Paul Revere
of the Boston Massacre, which occurred on King Street in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1770. On the signal of an officer, British soldiers on the right open fire into a crowd of unarmed citizens on the left. In the background are the First Church and the Town House.
16.
ordain: create
Some are visual sources such as
photographs, paintings, or political cartoons.
Primary sources
source created by a person present at or involved with a historical event.
