Primary Source Documents: Your Choice

We are going to try something a bit different for homework! Please choose ONE of the following documents. Read it, and answer the following questions as a comment on this blog. These are different perspectives on the battle we learned about in class.

Paul Revere, Memorandum on the events of April 18, 1775.

General Thomas Gage Reports on the Battles of Lexington and Concord

Major John Pitcairn reports on the Battles of Lexington and Concord to General Gage on April 26th, 1775

John Dickinson to Arthur Lee: April 29th, 1775

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On a separate piece of paper, please answer the following and be ready to DISCUSS in class.

• What do we know about the author of this account?
• What was the individual's role in the event? Why might that be important?
• What was the purpose for creating the record?
• To what extent might self-interest have influenced the account?
• Who was the intended audience? Was this document intended to be public or private? Why is knowing that important?
• When was the record made? Why is the time important?