PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS
In Citizenship in Modern Europe
To practice critical analysis of historical evidence related to our global theme of “citizenship,” you are required to submit a close analysis of the context, meaning, and significance of one of the primary sources assigned for the course.
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Deep Dive Prompt
A few words from your instructor
Christine Haynes
Over the course of the semester, you are responsible for writing three total analyses of assigned individual primary source readings. For each assignment, you must choose one of the primary sources assigned up to that date on which to write. Each analysis will be graded on a 10-point scale. In your overall “primary source analysis” grade, which counts for 15% of your final grade, significant improvement over the course of the three assignments will be taken into account. In other words, if your scores on the later analyses are higher, they will be weighted more heavily in the grade for this component of the course.
Each primary source analysis should interpret a single document (even if more than one is assigned for that day) in a two-paragraph formal essay, according to the following instructions:
1) At the top of the page, place your name, the course number, and the date. Above the text (as a title), write the name of the author, title, and date of the document.
2) In the first paragraph, summarize the document by addressing the following questions: Who is the author, and what is his/her point of view? Who is the intended audience for the document? What is the purpose of the document? What is its main point, or argument? Do not simply answer these exact questions one by one. Instead, write a paragraph with complete sentences that flow from one to the other. You should include brief quotations from the document as examples of its content. Do not worry if you do not understand everything about the document; just do your best to summarize its main point.
3) In the second paragraph, place the document in a broader historical context of the evolution of “citizenship” by connecting it to other primary sources we have read and class lectures / discussions. In other words, explain how the document fits into a larger story we know from other course materials about how and why “citizenship” has changed over time and place. What does the document illustration about “citizenship”? To what extent does the document seem to agree with the other readings and lectures, and to what extent does it disagree or raise different issues, about what it means to be a citizen? In sum, what does the document tell us about the history of citizenship in modern Europe and its colonies? In this paragraph, it may help to imagine yourself as the editor of a collection of primary sources for students of modern European history. Write a few sentences that would help someone who knows absolutely nothing about the subject to understand the historical context and significance of the text. Again, do not worry if you don’t understand everything about the context surrounding the document; just do your best to relate it to the readings and lectures.
4) Before submitting your analysis, be sure to edit your paper for spelling and grammar. Also, look at the first sentence in each of the two paragraphs. Does the first sentence provide your reader with a guide to what follows in the rest of the paragraph? If it does not, rewrite the first sentence so that it gives the reader a good idea about the general point you are making in the paragraph.
General format: For these papers, you should NOT do any extra reading (besides the assigned readings for the course); you will not receive extra credit for doing so. However, you should provide parenthetical references to your sources, including other primary sources (e.g., Loyseau, p. 4); sections in the textbook (e.g., Kagan et al., 13.3, to indicate Chapter 13, Section 3); or lectures (Haynes lecture, 1/23/2023). All papers should be typed and double-spaced, in Word or Google Docs, saved for your own record, and uploaded as an attachment to Canvas. They should be written in complete sentences in standard written English. They should not exceed one page, in 12-point Courier or Times font, with one-inch margins. They will not be accepted after the respective due date for each source analysis.
To help you to write these one-page papers, I have included a sample primary source analysis in Canvas. Look at this example to get a general idea of how to approach these analyses.
Questions to Answer In This Deep Dive
In the first paragraph, summarize the document by addressing the following questions: Who is the author, and what is his/her point of view?
Who is the intended audience for the document? What is the purpose of the document?
What is its main point, or argument?
Which of the major events or developments discussed in recent readings and lectures does the document help to illustrate?
To what extent does the document seem to agree with the other readings and lectures, and to what extent does it disagree or raise different issues, about what it means to be a citizen?
In sum, what does the document tell us about the history of citizenship in modern Europe and its colonies?
Details
Deadline
4/17/2024 at 10:00 AM EDT
Requirements
Wordcount & Depth (10 points)
300 – 500 Words
Research Quality (10 points)
2 + Sources
Required to receive full credit
Formatting & Presentation (10 points)
Grammar & Mechanics (10 points)
Flow & Structure (10 points)
Content & Ideas (50 points)
See full rubric
Recommended Resources for this Deep Dive
Review these resources before you begin your deep dive to help you get started.
Book
Sources for European History Since 1660
ISBN 9781524944230
Haynes, 2018
