It is very important that you place the documents in their historical context. One of the purposes of this assignment is for students to demonstrate their knowledge of the era in which these documents were written. Therefore, it is crucial that you describe what was going on at the time these authors wrote.
Your discussion of the documents’ historical context must reference material presented in class lectures and Chapter 10 of Out of Many. While Chapter 10 was not a chapter you were quizzed on, you must read it as part of this assignment. Chapters 13 and 15 in Out of Many will also provide useful information.
You may find it helpful to imagine that you are not writing this paper for a history instructor to read. Instead, imagine that you are writing for a fellow student; someone who is intelligent but has little background in US history.
Explain to that imaginary reader what was going on at that time, then describe what makes these documents a product of that time.
