Read this excerpt, then answer the questions below.
"Historians studying this episode in Minnesota’s history investigate primary sources such as speeches, government papers, drawings, paintings, and photographs. While exploring what happened, historians also think creatively about why people made the choices they did. Historians do this based on what they already know about the time period and the people involved.
Historians also try to uncover perspectives, including those that may be missing or not obvious. They know, for example, that everything the Dakota representatives said at the 1851 treaty meetings was translated into English, then later remembered and written down. Historians also know that many of the speeches by U.S. government officials were also recalled and written down later. Did the translators and recorders accurately report what the Dakota and the U.S. government officials said? Historians cannot know for sure, but they consider such problems as they try to determine what happened during the treaty meetings."
Complete these sentence starters using what you learned from the excerpt above. Think as if you are the historian!
Primary sources are helpful to historians because...
Primary sources can be challenging for historians because...
Primary sources are helpful to historians because they provide firsthand accounts or evidence of events and perspectives during a specific time period. They allow historians to access information directly from the source and help them understand the context and significance of historical events.
Primary sources can be challenging for historians because they may be biased or incomplete. Translations and interpretations of speeches and documents may not accurately represent the original intent or meaning. Historians need to critically analyze and cross-reference multiple primary sources to ensure accuracy and to uncover perspectives that may be missing or not obvious. Additionally, primary sources can sometimes be scarce or difficult to access, requiring extensive research and investigation.