Sources Vocab

close reading

Critically examining significant details and language patterns of a text in order to develop a deep understanding of the author's claims or point of view

point of view

an opinion or perspective presented by the author of a document, influenced by the author's personal circumstances

historical context

the circumstances of the time in which an event occurred or in which an author lived that may have influenced his/her point of view

frame of reference

the personal attributes and life experience of an author that may have influence his/her point of view

corroboration

comparing different sources in order to 1) gain a more accurate account of the past, 2) evaluate the validity of a source, and/or 3) consider multiple perspectives.

charter

a contract given to someone to establish a colony

region

a geographic area that shares similar characteristics

mercantilism

economic policy where colonies serve as a source of raw materials to increase the wealth and maintain a favorable balance of trade for the "mother" country

sourcing

examining the "who," "what," "when," "where," and "why" of a document

subsistence farming

growing just enough crops for you and your family

plantations

large agricultural enterprise where crops are grown for sale

representative government

political system where policies are created by representatives selected by the people

colonization

state-sponsored settlement of people to new territories

contextualizing

taking into consideration how the author was influenced by when and where the document was produced

exploration

traveling to new territories for the purpose of discovery