1. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Interactive Skills
for Students
How to Analyze
Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation

2. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Why Learn This Skill?
 People who study history examine pieces of evidence to reconstruct events.
 Some types of evidence are written, visual, or physical artifacts. They are called primary sources.
 Analyzing primary sources can increase your understanding of historical people, events, or places.

3. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Learn It!
To analyze primary sources, follow these steps:
 Identify the author or creator of the source.
 Determine when and where the source was written, illustrated, or created.
 Read the document or study the illustration or artifact. Try to answer the following questions:
 What is the primary source?
 Who created it?
 Where is it from?
 When was it created?
 What information does the source reveal?

4. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
Read the text.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

5. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
Then, determine what this primary source is.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

6. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
Then, determine what this primary source is.
An Inaugural Address is another name for the speech given by a president after he takes the oath of office.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

7. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
Next, identify the author of the source.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

8. In this source, the author is identified at the end of
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
Next, identify the author of the source.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
In this source, the author is identified at the end of
the excerpt.

9. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
Next, determine when the source was created.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

10. In this source, the date is also cited.
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
Next, determine when the source was created.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
In this source, the date is also cited.

11. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn from the source? Use your skills at making inferences to help you.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

12. Apply It! How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
To whom is President Kennedy speaking?
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

13. Apply It! How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
To whom is President Kennedy speaking?
Americans and people around the world
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

14. Apply It! How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What is he asking Americans to do?
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

15. Apply It! How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What is he asking Americans to do?
He is challenging Americans to ask what they can do for their country, instead of asking what the country [government] can do for them.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

16. Apply It! How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What is Kennedy asking of his “fellow citizens of the world”?
He is asking that people around the world ask how they can work with the United States for the cause of freedom.
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
—President John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

17. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means

18. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means
Kennedy addressed Americans as well as people around the world.

19. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means
Kennedy addressed Americans as well as people around the world.
He believes his comments will be important for people in other countries to hear. This suggests that the United States had some influence around the world.

20. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means
Kennedy addressed Americans as well as people around the world.
He believes his comments will be important for people in other countries to hear. This suggests that the United States had some influence around the world.
Kennedy called on people to “ask what they can do for their country.”

21. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means
Kennedy addressed both Americans and people around the world
He believes his comments will be important for people in other countries to hear. This suggests that the United States had some influence around the world.
Kennedy called on people to “ask what they can do for their country.”
Kennedy valued service to others.

22. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means
Kennedy addressed Americans as well as people around the world.
He believes his comments will be important for people in other countries to hear. This suggests that the United States had some influence around the world.
Kennedy called on people to “ask what they can do for their country.”
Kennedy valued service to others.
Kennedy used the phrase “my fellow citizens of the world.”

23. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means
Kennedy addressed Americans as well as people around the world.
He believes his comments will be important for people in other countries to hear. This suggests that the United States had some influence around the world.
Kennedy called on people to “ask what they can do for their country.”
Kennedy valued service to others.
Kennedy used the phrase “my fellow citizens of the world.”
Kennedy wanted to express a sense of global unity.

24. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means
Kennedy addressed Americans as well as people around the world.
He believes his comments will be important for people in other countries to hear. This suggests that the United States had some influence around the world.
Kennedy called on people to “ask what they can do for their country.”
Kennedy valued service to others.
Kennedy used the phrase “my fellow citizens of the world.”
Kennedy wanted to express a sense of global unity.
Kennedy asked people around the world to consider what they could do for the “freedom of man.”

25. The Primary Source Says
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
What can you learn about Kennedy’s values from this document?
The Primary Source Says
What It Means
Kennedy addressed Americans as well as people around the world.
He believes his comments will be important for people in other countries to hear. This suggests that the United States had some influence around the world.
Kennedy called on people to “ask what they can do for their country.”
Kennedy valued service to others.
Kennedy used the phrase “my fellow citizens of the world.”
Kennedy wanted to express a sense of global unity.
Kennedy asked people around the world to consider what they could do for the “freedom of man.”
Kennedy may have believed that human freedom was threatened. He also believed that people around the world should help the U.S. protect freedom.

26. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Apply It!
Summarize the information in the primary source.
President Kennedy used his Inaugural Address to speak to Americans as well as people around the world.
In his speech he seems to value service to others as well as working with people around the world for the cause of freedom.

27. click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
How to Analyze Primary Sources
click your mouse or hit enter to advance animation
Remember
 Primary sources are written, visual, or physical pieces of evidence from the past.
 Historians use primary sources to gather information about the past.
 Learning how to analyze primary sources will help you in social studies as well as other subjects.