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Read each question carefully. Use what you know about primary and secondary sources to answer. Write your answers in complete sentences when asked.
1. Read the excerpt below. Then answer the questions that follow.
Historical Document
“
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
— Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, 1776
2. The excerpt from the Declaration of Independence is an example of which type of historical source?
A A secondary source, because it was written after the Revolution ended B A primary source, because it was written at the time of the event by someone involved C A secondary source, because it was written by a historian studying the Revolution D A primary source, because it was found in a museum 3. A historian studying the American Revolution reads a diary written by a colonist in 1775 and also reads a textbook chapter about the Revolution written in 2010. Explain one way each source helps the historian understand the past. Use the terms primary source and secondary source in your answer.
4. Use what you know about primary and secondary sources to fill in the table. Compare the two types of sources across each feature listed.
Feature Primary Source Secondary Source Who created it When it was created Example What it is most useful for
5. A photograph taken during the Civil War is a ___ source because it was created at the time of the event, while a book written by a historian in 1990 explaining the causes of the Civil War is a ___ source.
6. Imani found two sources about the life of Harriet Tubman: a letter Harriet Tubman wrote herself in 1868, and a biography written about her in 2005. Which source would be more helpful for learning how Tubman felt about her work on the Underground Railroad? Which would be more helpful for understanding how historians evaluate her impact today? Explain your thinking for each choice.
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