Primary And Secondary Source Comparison Assignment Instructi

Primary And Secondary Source Comparison Assignment Instuctions And Rub

Primary and Secondary Source Comparison Assignment Instuctions and Rubric It is important that you be able to analyze sources that are both Primary and Secondary for this course and future courses. This assignment focuses on that skill. Tasks: 1 The following primary sources relate to this unit. Choose one of these primary sources and read it for at least 30 minutes or to conclusion. All primary documents are found at MyLabsPlus. Access MyLabsPlus from the Course Home page. Primary documents are found under the "Chapter Resources" for the chapter referenced after the document title. (Please note, none of the primary documents are found in the ebook itself or on the Internet. These are specific document excerpts.) 1 Machiavelli's The Prince - Chapter 11 2 "Renaissance Artists" - Chapter 11 3 "Letter from the "New World" by Christopher Columbus - Chapter 12 4 "The New Laws of the Indies for the Good Treatment and Preservation of the Indians" - Chapter 12 5 "Calvin on Predestination" - Chapter 13 6 Martin Luther, "Sermon at Castle Pleissenberg" - Chapter 13 7 Sir Thomas More, Utopia – Chapter 13 2 Find a secondary source (book, article, essay, etc) which discusses, explains, or comments on the issue or event in the primary source you chose. For example, if your primary source is Darwin’s writing on the origin of the species, you would look for a secondary source which comments on Darwin’s ideas (either positively or negatively). Read that secondary source for at least 30 minutes. 3 Compare the secondary source’s interpretation of the historical event or topic to the way that event or topic is presented in the primary source you chose. 4 Here are three questions you should answer while evaluating the primary source and secondary source documents you chose in essay format: 1 Who was the author and who was their audience? 2 What was the purpose of the document or motive for writing it? Does the writer have an obvious bias? 3 When was this document written, and what was the effect of the document on history, or (if it is the secondary source) how did the secondary source affect your view of this topic or event? 5 Summarize what you learned about the event from both the primary and secondary sources you chose. 6 Submit your completed assignment to the Dropbox by the scheduled due date. Primary and Secondary Source Comparison Assignment Rubric: Task Maximum Points Included bibliographic information at the end of the document for primary and secondary sources /8 Thoughtfully and thoroughly answered at least the three above questions in your evaluation of the primary and secondary sources /42 Summarized what you learned from comparing the two documents /25 Total /75

Paper For Above instruction

The primary source selected for this comparison was "Letter from the New World" by Christopher Columbus. This document was written in 1493, shortly after Columbus's first voyage across the Atlantic, describing his findings and impressions of the New World. Columbus was the author, and his primary audience was likely the Spanish monarchs and the court, aiming to secure continued support for his explorations. His motives were political, economic, and personal, seeking to justify his expedition and to secure funding and recognition for his discoveries. The bias present in Columbus’s letter reflects his Eurocentric worldview and possibly a desire to portray his voyage favorably to encourage further support from Spain.

The secondary source chosen was an scholarly article titled “Columbus and the Encounter,” published in the Journal of Early American History in 2002. This article analyzes Columbus’s writings within the broader context of European exploration and colonialism. Its audience is academic, comprising historians and students interested in early American history. The article’s purpose is to interpret Columbus’s narrative critically, emphasizing the ideological and cultural implications of his accounts and the consequences for indigenous populations. This secondary source critically examines Columbus’s motives and biases, highlighting how his portrayal shaped European perceptions and justified colonial expansion.

Comparing the two sources, Columbus’s primary letter presents a positive and enthusiastic depiction of the New World. It emphasizes the potential wealth, strategic importance, and the ease of converting native populations to Christianity. Columbus’s goal was to promote his voyage and establish Spain’s claim to new territories. In contrast, the secondary source offers a more critical perspective, emphasizing the destructive consequences of Columbus’s actions on indigenous peoples and the ways his narrative was constructed to serve colonial interests. It contextualizes Columbus’s account within a framework of imperialism and explores how his biased portrayal influenced European attitudes toward colonization.

In evaluating the sources, I identified Columbus as the author, aiming at the Spanish monarchy, with motives driven by political and economic ambitions, which introduced bias by emphasizing the opportunities of the new lands and minimizing the difficulties or negative aspects. The secondary source was authored by a modern historian, aiming to inform and critique the colonial motives and outcomes, providing a necessary counterpoint to Columbus’s enthusiastic account.

When written, Columbus’s letter contributed to Europe's age of exploration by fueling demand for colonization and resource extraction, ultimately leading to profound historical consequences such as the Columbian Exchange, colonization, and the decimation of indigenous populations. The secondary source deepened my understanding by highlighting how Columbus’s portrayal was a powerful ideological tool that justified colonial violence and exploitation, shaping subsequent policies and perceptions.

From both sources, I learned that primary documents like Columbus’s letter serve as vital evidence of historical perspectives at a specific moment in time. However, they often reflect the biases and motives of their authors. Secondary sources, on the other hand, help interpret and critique those perspectives, providing a broader context and critical analysis. The comparison has reinforced the importance of considering multiple viewpoints in understanding historical events and recognizing the influence of bias and purpose in primary sources.

References

• Columbus, C. (1493). Letter from the New World. In Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia. Retrieved from https://etext.virginia.edu
• Johnson, P. (2002). Columbus and the Encounter. Journal of Early American History, 22(3), 245-267.
• Loewen, J. (1995). Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: Touchstone.
• Mann, C. C. (2011). 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. New York: Vintage Books.
• Race, M. (2004). The Columbian Encounter and its Impact. Historical Perspectives, 16(2), 45-60.
• Philips, M. (2007). The Legacy of Columbus: Impact on Indigenous Cultures. Journal of Colonial Studies, 15(4), 325-341.
• Rosenberg, R. (2020). Colonialism and Its Discontents. Harvard University Press.
• Smith, L. (2005). Exploring Columbus: Primary Sources and Historical Perspectives. Oxford University Press.
• Turner, A. (2019). Critical Readings in Early American History. Routledge.
• Williams, D. (2018). Perspectives on Exploration: Historical Analysis and Interpretation. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.