In this assignment, you will be contextualizing and analyzing primary sources. While not a formal essay, this assignment will help you develop analytical and historical writing skills that will prepare you for Essays 2 and 3.

Analyzing primary sources

Essay 1 Assignment: A Woman’s Place: 1600-1847 In this assignment, you will be contextualizing and analyzing two primary sources. While not a formal essay, this assignment will help you develop analytical and historical writing skills that will prepare you for Essays 2 and 3. The goal of your writing is to highlight what you have learned in this unit. 1. Choose TWO primary sources from the choices listed below. They must be from TWO different historical periods: (for example: You can choose “Anne Bradstreet Poems” and” Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.” But you cannot choose both “Anne Bradstreet” and “Anne Hutchinson”) Colonial Period. Anne Bradstreet Poems (Reader pg 4, also posted on Canvas).

Analyzing primary sources

Trial of Anne Hutchinson (Reader pg 5-6, also posted on Canvas) Revolutionary/Early Republic Period. Judith Sargeant Murray “On the Equality of the Sexes” (TWE pg 151-152). Abigail Adams Letters (Reader pg 8-9, also posted on Canvas) • John S. C. Abbott “The Mother at Home (Reader pg 10, also posted on Canvas) Antebellum Period • Harriet Robinson “Lowell Textile Workers” (Reader pg 11-12, also posted on Canvas).  Harriet Jacobs “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” (TWE 201-203) 2. For EACH Primary Source, you will write on EACH the following three areas:  Historical Context (1-2 paragraphs): What is going on in the historical time period that this source was written (or, if written later, what period does it describe)?

Analyzing primary sources

Discuss what is going on in the general time period and location of your source making sure to discuss the status of women/women’s activities in this period. Discuss relevant important events/people/terms that are important to know to make sense of the source. You may wish to discuss other relevant primary sources for context. Don’t forget to use important terms when necessary (Matrilineal, Puritan Goodwives, femme covert, deputy husbands, Republican Motherhood, Middle Class Domesticity, chattel slavery, etc.) as you discuss.  Content Summary (1 paragraph): Summarize and discuss the specific content of the source. Introduce the source and tell us about the author. Give a general summary of the primary source and then choose a few short significant quotes to discuss. https://youtu.be/xmIMzHY1t-s

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