Research Paper on "Amistad the Story"

Quoted Instructions for "Amistad the Story" Assignment:

I would like my essay to be about the Amistad revolt. My professor suggested the following link to get information from regarding a primary source.

Check out this link: www.archives.gov/education/lessons/amistad/

Instructions for Primary Source Analysis Essay For this assignment, you will locate a primary source that you are considering using for your final research paper. Keep in mind that primary sources can come in many forms. They can be maps, diaries, letters, memoirs, newspaper articles, government documents, posters, pamphlets, photographs, advertisements, paintings, films, novels, songs—just to name a few. The purpose of this assignment is to work on how to analyze a primary source. Your goal is to analyze your source excerpt as deeply and as thoroughly as possible. Do not simply provide a general summary or overview of your source. Think concretely and critically about its content, its historical context, the historical cultural values that shape it, and its relevance to your research. What are the author’s tone, style, and argument? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Read between the lines to discover its biases and assumptions. Depending on the nature of the primary source you select, the source may be as short as a paragraph or two or as long as dozens of pages. In structuring your Primary Source Analysis Essay, you must address the following questions. Do not simply list answers to the questions below. Rather, you must write your paper in essay form. It should have an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You do not need to address the questions in order, but be sure that you address all questions that are relevant to your source in your essay. Your essay must be a polished piece of writing. I will grade it for both content and style. The essay should be a one to two page analysis of that source. All writing must be in 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced and follow the Chicago Style Manual.

Basic Identification 1. What type of source is it? (newspaper article, map, letter, film, etc.) 2. When was it created? 3. Where was it created? 4. Who created it? Author’s Intent 1. What is the author’s place in society? (profession, status, class, gender, ethnicity, etc.) 2. How might the factors listed in the question above shape the author’s perspective in this source? 3. Why do you think the author created this source? 4. Does the author have an argument? If so, what is it? 5. Who is the intended audience for this source? 6. How might the intended audience shape the perspective of this source? Historical Context 1. Under what specific historical circumstances was this source created? 2. What larger historical events, processes, or structures might have influenced this text? 3. Is this source consistent with what you know about the historical record from that time? Content of the Source 1. What historical facts do you learn from this source? 2. What biases or other cultural factors might have shaped the message of this source? 3. How do the ideas and values in the source differ from the ideas and values of our time? 4. What historical perspectives are left out of this source? 5. What questions are left unanswered by this source? Relevance of the Source 1. What research question are you using this source to answer? 2. How might this source confirm or contradict issues raised in secondary sources? 3. What does this source tell you about the history of everyday life during this particular time period?