1.02 Set the Stage

What Does the Preamble to the Constitution Tell About the Goals of the Framers?

Older primary source documents often have vocabulary terms that are no longer used. This makes it important to think through unusual words and phrases to find their meanings. Original: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Translation: What this means 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.

secondary source:

source created by a person who was not present at or involved with a historical event

Terms & Definitions

unalienable rights: freedoms automatically given to everyone consent of the governed: agreement of citizens to their government abolish: completely end effect their safety and happiness: cause people to feel secure and able to pursue their needs domestic tranquility: safety at home common defense: united efforts to stay safe from foreign enemies blessings of liberty: benefits of freedom ordain: create

Examples of Primary Source Documents

1) 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. 2) Printed Document A printed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation effectively freeing all slaves in the Confederate states, issued by President Lincoln in 1863. 3) Photograph Photograph of a soldier during the Civil War wearing a uniform, including a hat, while carrying a powder horn and holding a rifle. 4) 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. 5) 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. 6) 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.

To find evidence, historians consider questions such as these:

1) What type of document is this source? For example, is it a government document, a letter, or a journal? 2) When was this document created? 3) 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. 4) Why was the document written? What evidence in the document explains this? 5) Who wrote this document? Was it a famous individual, a group, or an ordinary person? 6) 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? 7) What is the background of this document? Think about the time, place, author, and audience. What evidence in the document shows this information? 8) Why is this document important to the study of history?

Searching for Textual Evidence

1) What type of document is this? Answer: A formal statement Evidence: "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America..." 2) When was this document created? Answer: July 4, 1776 Evidence: "IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776..." 3) Who was the author of this document? Answer: Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five, on behalf of the Continental Congress Evidence: Historical knowledge; " IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776..." 4) Who was the intended audience of this document? Answer: The British king Evidence: Historical knowledge; "... it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another..." 5) What is the main idea of this document? Answer: The colonies are free of Great Britain Evidence: "... it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another..." "...to institute new Government..." 6) What was the purpose of this document? Answer: To tell the king why the colonies decided to rebel Evidence: Historical knowledge 7) Why was this document created? Answer: The colonies had decided to break free of the oppressive British king to form their own government. Evidence: Historical knowledge 8) 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. Evidence: "...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." ^ This final question identifies the most important ideas in the document—equality and the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Those ideas make a connection between an event in 1776 and Americans' lives today.

How Do You Pull Critical Information from Complex Text?

Historians connect past events with modern life by studying ideas from long ago. To make connections, they may study documents such as the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution. These documents were written more than 200 years ago. But they are as important today as when they were written. The Declaration of Independence states basic American values. The Constitution is the foundation of the U.S. government. Learning to read historical documents is an important skill for historians—and for history students.

How Do Historians Read Primary and Secondary Sources?

Historians study primary sources and secondary sources in order to learn about the past. They can be written diaries, letters, or government documents. They can also be photos, maps, or drawings. Perhaps the greatest example of a primary source is the Bible. This Holy Word of God is a collection of books, written by men who were inspired by God to record events, truths, poetry, lessons, prophecy, or any other pertinent information as revealed to them by God.

How Does the United States Constitution Meet the Goals of the Preamble?

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, and defended the country from attack. Those goals have shaped our government and national actions throughout history. To meet these goals, the authors of the Constitution set up a plan for government. Finding evidence is vital to correctly interpreting a primary source document. When looking for the answer to a historical question in a written document, always seek evidence in the text to support your answer.

What Else Can Primary and Secondary Sources Tell Us?

Not all primary and secondary sources are written. Some are visual sources such as photographs, paintings, or political cartoons. Others, such as recordings of speeches, may be audio sources. Historians analyze these sources using the same process they use for written documents.

What Were Important Ideas in the Declaration of Independence?

Searching for textual evidence helps historians answer questions about the past. Historians might research, for example, how people viewed an event, person, or idea at the time it occurred. Such information helps historians understand causes and effects. They can also learn whether ideas have changed over time. A historian might ask: "What ideas were important to the authors of the Declaration of Independence?" Answering this question would explain why the colonists decided to declare independence. This information could also show what principles the nation's founders wished to pass on to Americans over time. Those principles became basic American beliefs—and a connection between the past and present. 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. Original: When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government. Translation: 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.

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

primary source:

source created by a person present at or involved with a historical event