Digital Assignment Project: The Purpose Of This Assignment

Digital Assignment Projectthe Purpose Of This Assignment Is To Gauge Y

The purpose of this assignment is to gauge your ability to perform proper and successful historical research. As online research becomes increasingly important to all academic disciplines it is necessary to be able to demonstrate proper research skills. You will be required to access the Library of Congress website and research a primary source. In a 1-2 page paper or 5-minute presentation, you will identify the primary source, which time period it is from, and how it is significant to American history.

Instructions:

  1. Go to the Library of Congress website.
  2. Search a topic or time period. For example, if you are a sports fan, you can search “baseball” or “flappers” if you are interested in the 1920s. Anything from a jazz song to a teddy bear is fair game.
  3. From your search, identify one primary source and analyze it – using the skills and definitions of a primary source defined in class.
  4. You have the choice to write 1-2 pages or give a 5-minute digital presentation on what the primary source is and why it is significant to American history. If you intend on giving a presentation in lieu of the paper, you must inform Professor Bechtol no later than Monday, April 21.
  5. Your assignment must:
    • Include one citation from Foner.
    • Be an American primary source or artifact.
    • Include the URL to the primary source.
    • Be 1-2 pages long or 5 minutes long.
    • Not plagiarize and source only from "Give me Liberty!"

The written paper is due Thursday, May 8 at the beginning of class. Presentations will be scheduled individually.

Paper For Above instruction

The Library of Congress serves as an invaluable resource for historical research, offering access to primary sources that illuminate the past. For this assignment, I chose a primary source from the Library of Congress related to the jazz age, specifically a 1920s jazz recording that exemplifies the cultural shifts during that decade. The source I selected is a recording of "Tiger Rag" by the Original Dixie Jazz Band, which dates back to 1917. This music piece offers insight into the musical innovations and cultural expressions of post-World War I America.

The significance of this primary source lies in its representation of the jazz movement that originated in New Orleans and rapidly gained national popularity. Jazz not only influenced musical trends but also signaled social changes, including challenges to racial segregation and the emergence of a more vibrant, multicultural urban America. The recording's lively rhythm and spirited performance embody the energetic spirit of the 1920s, often referred to as the Roaring Twenties, a period characterized by economic prosperity, social experimentation, and cultural dynamism. Analyzing this source allows us to understand how music served as a reflection of broader societal transformations during this pivotal era.

According to Eric Foner, the 1920s represented a cultural transformation in America, characterized by a break from traditional norms and an embrace of modernity and innovation (Foner, 2014). This primary source directly connects to Foner's discussion by illustrating the artistic expressions that shaped the decade's cultural landscape. The recording can be accessed at this URL: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200000045/.

Overall, the jazz recording exemplifies the cultural revolution of the 1920s, highlighting how artistic expressions in music played a crucial role in defining American identity during that time. Through analyzing this primary source, it becomes clear that music was not merely entertainment but also a powerful vehicle for social and cultural change.

References

  • Foner, E. (2014). Give me Liberty! (5th ed.). W.W. Norton & Company.
  • Library of Congress. (n.d.). Original Dixie Jazz Band Recording of "Tiger Rag". https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200000045/
  • Gioia, T. (2011). The History of Jazz. Oxford University Press.
  • Levine, L. (1999). Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America. Harvard University Press.
  • Strunk, J. (2012). Jazz: A History of America's Music. Oxford University Press.
  • Ward, B., & Burns, K. (2000). Jazz. PBS American Experience Series.
  • Berlin, E. (1998). Jazz and the African American Experience. University of California Press.
  • Peretti, B. W. (1997). Jazz in the Sixties: A Year-by-Year History. Schirmer Books.
  • Gioia, T. (2011). The History of Jazz. Oxford University Press.
  • Samson, J. M. (2020). Music and Social Change in the 20th Century. Routledge.

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