n historians analyze a primary source, they take the source apart and look at it c is sometimes referred to as unpacking a source $-$ think of the source as a suitcas never opened before. You wouldn't just dump the items out and give them a qu ce$.$ You would take them out carefully, one$-$by$-$one, and really examine them bec never know what sort of treasures might be hidden inside. It's the same way with nary sources.

you pick apart a source, some questions you want to consider are $($ones in bold ar icularly important$)$:

When was this source created?

Where was this source created?

Who wrote this source? If we have no idea, why might that be the case?

What kind of source is it $($letter$,$ artwork, map, literature, government documen so forth$)?$ Is this type of source unique to the time and place? If so$,$ why might be$?$ If not, in what ways is this specific example of the source different from of examples from other time periods or geographical areas?

Why was this source created? If it's a letter from a husband to a wife, it sugg the couple were separated at that time. Do we know why they were separated? it's a chronicle $($year$-$by$-$year listing of events$),$ why might a certain event have made it into the chronicle? Why was the information we are reading important enough to write down?

What does this source tell us about the person who wrote it$?$ What are the attitudes of this person?

What does this source tell us about people who lived during this time peri Did they see the world differently from you? In the same way?

Does this source confirm what I already knew about this historical time a place or does it contradict what I already knew? Can I reconcile those? Is history I was previously taught wrong?