Directions: Read the Source that I have provided, select a few important quotes by annotating the source. To annotate, you will: underline the most powerful language in the source & underline unusual word associations.
- Prior to writing your brief summary, make sure you have answered these basic questions: Who wrote the source? Who is the audience for the source? Who was the authors intended purpose? When and where did the author write the source? What is happening in the source? Any unfamiliar words in the source?
- Now seek deeper analysis: Develop a tentative thesis in answer to your big question, “How did slavery end in the United States?” Example: A tentative answer might look like this: “This source demonstrates that ex-slaves who joined the Union Army helped to persuade fellow soldiers and commanders that the Union should attack slavery militarily.”
- If you have difficulty developing a tentative thesis, consider analyzing your source along one of the following lines of inquiry: Can you detect a “cause and effect” in your source? Can you identify a “turning point” in your source? Can you see change or continuity in people’s experiences?
Now write a 350 word brief summary/ analysis using the questions and directions above about the Source.