Building Historical Literacy Skills

Zerah Jakub Manager of Educational Resources and Outreachwww.mountvernon.org/teachers

What are primary sources? • Documents

What are primary sources? • Documents

• Artwork

What are primary sources? • Documents

• Artwork

• Objects

Sourcing Before You Dive Into Your Primary Source

· Who created it?

· Where was it created?

· When was it created?

· Why was it created?

· What was the author’s perspective?

· Is it reliable?

ContextualizationLooking at the Bigger Picture

· What was different when the primary source was created?

· What was the same when it was created?

· How might the circumstances in which the primary source was created affect its content?

Close ReadingGetting to Know Your Primary Source

· What claims does the creator make?

· What evidence does the creator use?

· What language does the creator use persuade his/her audience?

· How does the primary source suggest the creator’s perspective?

CorroborationOpening the Door to Other Primary Sources

· What do other primary sources say?

· Do other primary sources agree? If not, why?

· What are other possible primary sources?

· What are the most reliable sources?

Background Information on George Washington and the Boston Tea Party

The House of Burgesses

Tea

http://www.mountvernon.org/research-collections/digital-encyclopedia/

DOCUMENTS

Resolution of the House of Burgesses Designating a Day of Fasting and Prayer, 24 May 1774

TUESDAY, THE 24TH OF MAY, 14 GEO. III. 1774.

THIS House being deeply impressed with Apprehension of the great Dangers to be derived to British America, from the hostile Invasion of the City of Boston, in our Sister Colony of Massachusetts Bay, whose Commerce and Harbour are on the 1st Day of June next to be stopped by an armed Force, deem it highly necessary that the said first Day of June be set apart by the Members of this House as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer, devoutly to implore the divine Interposition for averting the heavy Calamity, which threatens Destruction to our civil Rights, and the Evils of civil War; to give us one Heart and one Mind firmly to oppose, by all just and proper Means, every Injury to American Rights, and that the Minds of his Majesty and his Parliament may be inspired from above with Wisdom, Moderation, and Justice, to remove from the loyal People of America all Cause of Danger from a continued Pursuit of Measures pregnant with their Ruin.Ordered, therefore, that the Members of this House do attend in their Places at the Hour of ten in the Forenoon, on the said 1st Day of June next, in Order to proceed with the Speaker and the Mace to the Church in this City for the Purposes aforesaid; and that the Reverend Mr. Price be appointed to read Prayers, and the Reverend Mr. Gwatkin to preach a Sermon suitable to the Occasion.Ordered, that this Order be forthwith printed and published. By the HOUSE of BURGESSES.

GEORGE WYTHE, C. H. B.

Excerpt from George Washington to George William Fairfax, 10-15 June 1774… The day after this Event the Members convend themselves at the Raleigh Tavern & enterd into the Inclosd Association which being followed two days after by an Express from Boston accompanied by the Sentiments of some Meetings in our Sister Colonies to the Northwd the proceedings mentiond in the Inclos’d Papers were had thereupon & a general meeting requested of all the late Representatives in this City on the first of August when it is hopd, & expected that some vigorous measures will be effectually adopted to obtain that justice which is denied to our Petitions & Remonstrances; in short the Ministry may rely on it that Americans will never be tax’d without their own consent that the cause of Boston the despotick Measures in respect to it I mean now is and ever will be considerd as the cause of America (not that we approve their cond[uc]t in destroyg the Tea) & that we shall not suffer ourselves to be sacrificed by piecemeal though god only knows what is to become of us, threatned as we are with so many hoverg evils as hang over us at present; having a cruel & blood thirsty Enemy upon our Backs, the Indians, between whom & our Frontier Inhabitants many Skirmishes have happend, & with who<m> a general war is inevitable whilst those from whom we have a right to Seek protection

are endeavouring by every piece of Art & despotism to fix the Shackles of Slavry upon us—…I am Dr Sir Yr Most Obedt Servt

Go: W——n

Excerpt from George Washington to Bryan Fairfax, 4 July 1774…As to your political sentiments, I would heartily join you in them, so far as relates to a humble and dutiful petition to the throne, provided there was the most distant hope of success. But have we not tried this already? Have we not addressed the Lords, and remonstrated to the Commons? And to what end? Did they deign to look at our petitions? Does it not appear, as clear as the sun in its meridian brightness, that there is a regular, systematic plan formed to fix the right and practice of taxation upon us?...Do not all the debates, especially those just brought to us, in the House of Commons on the side of government, expressly declare that America must be taxed in aid of the British funds, and that she has no longer resources within herself? Is there any thing to be expected from petitioning after this? Is not the attack upon the liberty and property of the people of Boston, before restitution of the loss to the India Company was demanded, a plain and self-evident proof of what they are aiming at? Do not the subsequent bills (now I dare say acts), for depriving the Massachusetts Bay of its charter, and for transporting offenders into other colonies or to Great Britain for trial, where it is impossible from the nature of the thing that justice can be obtained, convince us that the administration is determined to stick at nothing to carry its point? …With you I think it a folly to attempt more than we can execute, as that will not only bring disgrace upon us, but weaken our cause; yet I think we may do more than is generally believed, in respect to the non-importation scheme. As to the withholding of our remittances, that is another point, in which I own I have my doubts on several accounts, but principally on that of justice; for I think, whilst we are accusing others of injustice, we should be just ourselves; and how this can be, whilst we owe a considerable debt, and refuse payment of it to Great Britain, is to me inconceivable. Nothing but the last extremity, I think, can justify it. Whether this is now come, is the question… I am, dear Sir, your most obedient and humble servant.

.

Resolution of the House of Burgesses Designating a Day of Fasting and Prayer (24 May 1774) http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-01-02-0082

GW to George William Fairfax (10-15 June 1774) http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-10-02-0067

GW to Bryan Fairfax (4 July 1774) http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-10-02-0075

Sources:

ARTWORK

George Washington during the French and Indian War (Charles Volkmar,1874, after Charles Willson Peale, 1772) 

The Boston Tea Party(Philip Dawe, London 1774) 

George Washington during the French and Indian War – Charles Volkmar, 1874, after Charles Willson Peale, 1772 http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/french-indian-war/washington-and-the-french-indian-war/

The Boston Tea Party - Philip Dawe, London, 1774 http://boston1775.blogspot.com/2009/12/first-picture-of-boston-tea-party.html

Sources:

OBJECTS

Tea Bowl (part of Tea Set)

Sugar Tongs

Teaspoon

Tea Bowl http://emuseum.mountvernon.org/code/emuseum.asp?style=text&currentrecord=51&page=search&profile=objects&searchdesc=spoon&quicksearch=spoon&sessionid=EEB122C1-FAC9-45B3-934E-FFC50A979EEF&action=quicksearch&style=single&currentrecord=54

Sugar Tongshttp://emuseum.mountvernon.org/code/emuseum.asp?style=text&currentrecord=21&page=search&profile=objects&searchdesc=sugar&quicksearch=sugar&sessionid=48BAC9A4-72C1-4877-8EDC-C76BD6498C0F&action=quicksearch&style=single&currentrecord=26

Teaspoonhttp://emuseum.mountvernon.org/code/emuseum.asp?style=single&currentrecord=56&page=search&profile=objects&searchdesc=spoon&quicksearch=spoon&sessionid=EEB122C1-FAC9-45B3-934E-FFC50A979EEF&action=quicksearch&currentrecord=57

Sources:

Bringing It Together

How does using a wide array of primary sources increase historical literacy?

What is the impact when students widen their understanding of primary sources?

Zerah Jakub Manager of Educational Resources and Outreachzjakub@mountvernon.org http://www.slideshare.net/MVEducation