How to Analyze a Historical Document
Determine type of document it is., Identify the author., Determine when the document was created., Identify the audience.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine type of document it is.
It’s important to know what you’re looking at, since that can help you figure out how to place the document in context.
You could be looking at a newspaper article, a music score, a piece of poetry, a letter, or something else.
Knowing what you're looking at helps you develop an approach for handling the information the document contains.For example, if you know you’re looking at an obituary, you’ll also know you’ll want to find out where it originally appeared (like a newspaper), whether it was written by the publication's staff or someone related to the deceased, and whether there were other newspapers in the same time and place that might cover the same person differently. -
Step 2: Identify the author.
There might be an author’s name listed somewhere on the document, or you might have to figure it out from context clues in the document itself.
Think about the race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation of the author and how that might affect what they write and how they write it.For example, if you’re looking at a letter, the author’s name might be signed at the bottom.
Or, you might be able to figure out who the author is if you know who it is addressed to.
For example, if you know the letter is addressed to John Adams, and the author calls him “my husband,” you’d know the author is Abigail Adams. , Some documents will have dates, others will not.
Once you have the date, think about what was happening at that time.
That context can help give you clues as to why the document was created or what it might be addressing.For example, if you’re reading a speech transcript, there might not be an obvious date written on it.
You can still date the transcript by looking for context clues.
Maybe the author wrote “when World War II ended ten years ago,” somewhere in the text.
Since you know that World War II ended in 1945, you’d know that this document was written ten years later – in
1955.
If you have a newspaper article written about equal rights in 1963, you can assume that the Civil Rights Movement, and the increasing popularity of Martin Luther King, Jr., probably motivated the writer to write about equal rights. , Maybe the author is addressing a specific group of people.
Or maybe there was an intended audience of one, or they were simply jotting down some thoughts for themselves.
Knowing the audience – and whether the document was meant to be private or public – can help you figure out what the author’s intent was for the document.
A private document is sometimes more likely to be honest, since the author did not expect anyone to see it.
A public document is more likely to be trying to convince someone of something.For example, the audience for a letter from a husband to his wife during World War II probably only has an intended audience of one – the wife.
The husband might be more likely to be honest about how he feels about the war.
Alternatively, he might keep certain things from his wife to stop her from worrying. -
Step 3: Determine when the document was created.
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Step 4: Identify the audience.
Detailed Guide
It’s important to know what you’re looking at, since that can help you figure out how to place the document in context.
You could be looking at a newspaper article, a music score, a piece of poetry, a letter, or something else.
Knowing what you're looking at helps you develop an approach for handling the information the document contains.For example, if you know you’re looking at an obituary, you’ll also know you’ll want to find out where it originally appeared (like a newspaper), whether it was written by the publication's staff or someone related to the deceased, and whether there were other newspapers in the same time and place that might cover the same person differently.
There might be an author’s name listed somewhere on the document, or you might have to figure it out from context clues in the document itself.
Think about the race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation of the author and how that might affect what they write and how they write it.For example, if you’re looking at a letter, the author’s name might be signed at the bottom.
Or, you might be able to figure out who the author is if you know who it is addressed to.
For example, if you know the letter is addressed to John Adams, and the author calls him “my husband,” you’d know the author is Abigail Adams. , Some documents will have dates, others will not.
Once you have the date, think about what was happening at that time.
That context can help give you clues as to why the document was created or what it might be addressing.For example, if you’re reading a speech transcript, there might not be an obvious date written on it.
You can still date the transcript by looking for context clues.
Maybe the author wrote “when World War II ended ten years ago,” somewhere in the text.
Since you know that World War II ended in 1945, you’d know that this document was written ten years later – in
1955.
If you have a newspaper article written about equal rights in 1963, you can assume that the Civil Rights Movement, and the increasing popularity of Martin Luther King, Jr., probably motivated the writer to write about equal rights. , Maybe the author is addressing a specific group of people.
Or maybe there was an intended audience of one, or they were simply jotting down some thoughts for themselves.
Knowing the audience – and whether the document was meant to be private or public – can help you figure out what the author’s intent was for the document.
A private document is sometimes more likely to be honest, since the author did not expect anyone to see it.
A public document is more likely to be trying to convince someone of something.For example, the audience for a letter from a husband to his wife during World War II probably only has an intended audience of one – the wife.
The husband might be more likely to be honest about how he feels about the war.
Alternatively, he might keep certain things from his wife to stop her from worrying.
About the Author
Marilyn Young
A passionate writer with expertise in pet care topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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