Use this primary source
Earle, William. Obi: Or, The History of Threefingered Jack. In a Series of Letters From a Resident In
Jamaica to His Friend In England. Worcester, MA: Printed by I Thomas, jr., 1804
https://repository.library.northeastern.edu/downloads/neu:m04109265?datastream_id=content
To write a primary source analysis paper.
Your analysis should be deeply focused on one source and show consideration of its origins, production, and context.
The paper should include:
Introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph
Detailed descriiption of the source you have selected.
Analysis of the source using the Analyzing Written Documents guidelines.
Analyzing Written Documents
Source
1) When was the document created?
2) Who created the document?
3) What kind of document is it?
4) For what audience was the document
created?
5) What’s the significance of these pieces of
information?
Observe
1) Summarize the content of the document
in one sentence
2) What parts of the text support/verify that
summary?
3) What do we learn about life in this time
from this document?
Contextualize
(using your own prior knowledge)
1) What connections can you draw between
the document and other things you’ve
studied / learned about?
2) How do these pieces of information help
you understand the perspectives in this
document, why it was created, and its
significance to our understanding of this
time and place?
Corroborate
(by formulating questions)
1) What questions do you have that would
help you understand this document further?
2) What evidence (primary or secondary)
would help you answer your questions?
Where would you go next?
This assignment is about posing good questions and interrogating the source. You are encouraged to pose questions that you do not necessarily have answers to, such as questions for further research.
Reference two secondary sources from our syllabus or from outside class. If you use a source that is not from our syllabus, make sure it is a scholarly source (Wikipedia and other encyclopedias are not scholarly sources). Use the secondary sources to contextualize and analyze the primary source. You may either quote these sources directly or paraphrase. Use proper Chicago Style citation for any ideas that are not your own.
List of Works Cited
