Primary Document Analysis Essay

Primary sources help illuminate historical events and time periods by reflecting the viewpoint of
a participant or observer who lived through and experienced the era under study. Examples of
primary sources include diaries, journals, speeches, newspaper or magazine articles, interviews,
letters, government documents, photographs, audio recordings, and video recordings. In this
assignment you are required write a 500 word analysis of one primary document that has been
assigned or discussed in class during the first four weeks of the quarter.

You may choose from the following primary documents/sources:

1.) NAACP Report, “Thirty Years of Lynching in the United States”
2.) “Thomas Dixon’s Preface to his novel, The Clansman
3.) “Cook County Coroner’s Report Regarding the 1919 Chicago Race Riot”
4.) “Final Report of the Grand Jury on the Tulsa Race Riot”
5.) “Southem Black Woman’s Letter Regarding the Recent Riots in Chicago and
Washington, November 1919”
6.) “Account of the Riots in East St. Louis”
7.) Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit, 1939”

Your task is to use your document to make an argument about the nature of race, riots, and/or
violence during the time period in which your document was written. While you may not be able
to address them all, you should consider the following to write your essay: 1) the point of View
of who wrote the document; 2) what might have influenced their position and mode of thinking;
and 3) whether other opinions might have existed at the same time. In addition to asking these
three questions, other pointers for conducting your analysis include placing the document in its
proper historical context (i.e. what happened, when did it occur, who was involved, where did it
happen, and why it happened) and relating the document to the debates and questions about race,
riots, and violence from class discussions or readings (including the shifting meanings of race
and gender; economic competition; and political developments).

At the beginning of your essay you should briefly note which document you are analyzing, but
do not spend your entire essay summarizing the document. The main objective is to share your
analysis of what the document means for understanding the time in which it was produced.
Whether you choose a short document or longer one, you will more than likely not be able to
discuss everything about the document, so be sure to be clear in your first paragraph what issues
you are focusing on and what your main argument or claim is about the document.

You will be evaluated based on your ability to follow the above directions as well as your
success in engaging the debates, themes, and issues raised in class readings and discussions. In
addition, the clarity of your argument, compelling interpretation, creativity in style, title, and
presentation will also figure in your grade. Be sure to type your essay in 12 point font, use one
inch margins, double space your essay, and note your name, the course, title, and date at the top
of your essay.