research paper

Primary Source Project

Introductory Paragraph & Bibliography

Primary Source

The primary source I am planning to work on is The Declaration of Independence. It is undoubtable that this source is crucial for American history because it marks the formation of the United States of America and it contains the goals of this nation. It is drafted by Thomas Jefferson and approved by Second Continental Congress meeting. The meeting was at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence announced that thirteen American colonies were not controlled by British rule anymore. The thirteen American colonies became newly independent states and formed the United States of America. It was the first time in history that a political society founded itself upon principled considerations.

Secondary Sources

1. Calvin Coolidge. Speech on the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 1926

2. Documents: Colonial Government. teachingamericanhistory.org, 2006

3. Justin Buckley Dyer. American Soul: The Contested Legacy of the Declaration of Independence. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2015

My first secondary source is the speech given by Calvin Coolidge on the 150th Anniversary of Declaration of Independence. In this address, President Coolidge reminded Americans how revolutionary the Declaration of Independence had been by stating that liberty was an equal natural right and rejecting that idea could only lead America and the world back to the dark days. It can help me understand my primary source by showing how the declaration of independence has kept influencing the U.S.

The next secondary source is a website about American history education. There are a list of documents about colonial government. Relevant sources from this website can assist me understanding the history background of the Declaration of Independence.

The last secondary source for my project is The Contested Legacy of the Declaration of Independence by Justin Buckley Dyer. It is criticism and interpretation on the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence is not perfect. From this book, I can learn a different perspective to read and criticize the Declaration of Independence.