its a primary source analysis
HIST 223-Primary Source Analysis on the Social Perspectives of the Black Death (14th century) HIST 223: Early Modern Europe Prof. Anjali Malhotra Examining Perspectives on the Social Crises of the 14th century Fall Term 2021 Plague Doctor Circa 1656, A plague doctor in protective clothing. The beak mask held spices thought to purify air, the wand was used to avoid touching patients. Original Artwork: Engraving by Paul Furst after J Colombina (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) ______________________________________________________________________________ Examining Perspectives on the Social Crises of the 14th century Primary Source Analysis (15%) Due: Friday Sept, 24, 2021 before 11:59pm Canvas Inbox. No late submissions beyond 12:10am will be accepted under any circumstances. Primary Source Analysis: 4-5 pages in length, typewritten, double spaced, 12 font, numbered by pages, Title page with the name of the Primary Source, Student Name, ID Number of footnotes: 10-13 minimum and footnotes must be directly cited from the source (direct passages and quotes, you should not paraphrase from the primary source) Work directly with the language You must use the essay structure provided below and the guiding questions to answer Section 3 of your Primary Source Analysis You should avoid summaries and try to interpret the document and analyze it carefully Pay close attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, and paragraphing HIST 223: Early Modern Europe Prof. Anjali Malhotra Examining Perspectives on the Social Crises of the 14th century Fall Term 2021 Your analysis must contain CMS style footnoting and contain a proper bibliography, any other formatting or citation style, your paper will be penalized. You are permitted to use 1-2 outside sources for this assignment If you fail to use CMS you will incur a grade penalty Primary Sources: These sources are various social perspectives from the Late Middle Ages (14th century) and in specific, the sources express the various reactions of people who experienced its effects. Choose ONE source to analyze and write from the following choices: ______________________________________________________________________________ Source 1: Giovanni Boccaccio: (1313-1375) THE DECAMERON , "INTRODUCTION" Link: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/decameronintro.asp The Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio used the Black Death as a basis for his fictional work The Decameron. Boccaccio’s Decameron was written in 1350–51 and contains descriptions of the effects of the Black Death on the population of the Italian city of Florence. This edition was printed in the sixteenth century. It remains unclear as to whether or not Boccaccio was in Florence when the Plague arrived. But, his father claims that he may have been sent for a business trip to Florence, he may have been an eyewitness to the suffering in Florence. Source 2: Medieval Sourcebook: Anonimalle Chronicle: English Peasants' Revolt 1381, The Death of Wat Tyler (1381) https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/anon1381.asp This primary source is an extract taken from a chronicle of the time, of the final meeting of king Richard II and the leader of the English Peasants Revolt - Wat Tyler. Little is known of Wat Tyler with the exception of his fame as the leader of the English Peasants Revolt of 1381. According to popular accounts, the commons of Kent after taking Rochester Castle, chose Wat Tyler of Maidstone as their captain. Under him they moved to Canterbury, Blackheath and London. At the Smithfield conference with Richard II (who was at the time only fourteen years of age), blows were exchanged. William Walworth, mayor of London, wounded Wat. One of the king's squires fell upon Wat and stabbed him in the stomach and he died (June 15, 1381). https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/decameronintro.asp https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/anon1381.asp HIST 223: Early Modern Europe Prof. Anjali Malhotra Examining Perspectives on the Social Crises of the 14th century Fall Term 2021 Some historical context: When the Black Death swept Europe in 1348-1351 it left about 30% of the population dead. This greatly affected the English peasants because there was a labour shortage and food was scarce. Source 3: Jewish History Sourcebook: The Black Death and the Jews 1348-1349 CE The two sources below are considered as one source. Extract 1: The Confession of Agimet of Geneva, Châtel,October 20, 1348 Extract 2: The Cremation of Strasbourg Jewry St. Valentine's Day, February 14, 1349 - About The Great Plague And The Burning Of The Jews https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/jewish/1348-jewsblackdeath.asp Extract 1: This account is a translation from the Latin of a confession made under torture by Agimet, a Jew, who was arrested at Chatel, on Lake Geneva. It is typical of forced confessions and forwarded to other towns. Extract 2: On February 14, 1349, when several hundred Jews were publicly burnt to death, the city of Strasbourg, located along today’s French-German border, arrested its Jews and charged them with poisoning wells to cause the Black Death. Some historical context: In the 14th century, life in Europe was structured around Christianity; it was not only the common religion, but also the foundation for governance. Christianity had become immersed into the culture, Jews had become a minority. Jewish customs separated Jews from their Christian neighbors. Intolerance and suspicion of these unfamiliar customs in addition to the unwillingness of Jews to convert to Christianity often led to fear and hatred from their neighbors. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/jewish/1348-jewsblackdeath.asp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnt_to_death HIST 223: Early Modern Europe Prof. Anjali Malhotra Examining Perspectives on the Social Crises of the 14th century Fall Term 2021 While reading the primary source: ● Consider the original author's purpose and biases. ● Did the author have first-hand knowledge of the events? ● How did the author collect the information? ● Who was the audience? Which side appears in the most favorable light? ● Also consider the hidden potential of the source. ● What assumptions does the author make about attitudes and society? ● What aspects of daily life, government, or religion does the author mention? HIST 223: Early Modern Europe Prof. Anjali Malhotra Examining Perspectives on the Social Crises of the 14th century Fall Term 2021 Guiding Questions for Analysis: Section 3 of the Primary Source Analysis: Mandatory: You must answer at least 2-3 questions below in your analysis and cite direct evidence from the source.(footnotes) Source 1: Giovanni Boccaccio: (1313-1375) THE DECAMERON , "INTRODUCTION" How does Boccaccio’s account reflect the popular religious beliefs/attitudes of the time in Florence? How does this inform your understanding of the times in which he wrote? What are some of Boccaccio’s descriptions that you may question for accuracy and validity? What can this account tell us about the different social settings in Florence? Is there any particular historical value? What possible biases or historical inaccuracies should be taken into account while reading Boccaccio’s account? Source 2: Medieval Sourcebook: Anonimalle Chronicle: English Peasants' Revolt 1381, The Death of Wat Tyler (1381) What were some of the demands made by Wat Tyler? What can you gather about the behavior of the King towards his subjects, and towards Wat Tyler? Is there any reason to suggest that the King dealt with his rebellious subjects to resolve the issues effectively at hand? What possible sources of bias or inaccuracies should be taken into consideration when trying to judge a historical incident such as this? Does this perspective contain any other biases? Source 3: Jewish History Sourcebook: The Black Death and the Jews 1348-1349 CE What explanations did European leaders have for justifying the execution and burning of Jews? Are these reasons legitimate? Why or why not? What were some of the motives other than religion motivating those who wanted to execute the Jews? Is there any truth in Agimet’s testimony? What makes it convincing or not? What appears to be the author’s opinion concerning Agimet’s guilt? On what evidence do you base your conclusion? HIST 223: Early Modern Europe Prof. Anjali Malhotra Examining Perspectives on the Social Crises of the 14th century Fall Term 2021 The Structure and Process of Writing your Primary Source Analysis For Sections 1 and 2, you may use one-two sources available on Canvas Modules. This includes lecture materials, readings, and internet resources. No outside sources from the library or internet are acceptable. Section 3 must be ENTIRELY based on what the primary source says. Aim to answer the guiding questions provided to you which will help you to avoid a summary and aim to move you towards analysis. This is your primary focus of the paper. Your paper should include the following information presented in numbered subsections: For Sections 1 and 2: You are permitted to use secondary or outside sources (1-2). Acceptable sources include course materials, peer-reviewed articles from JSTOR, Google scholar, journal articles that contain a specific author, taken from academic sources, etc. Sections of your Primary Source Analysis 1. Historical Background of the source: What was happening at the time that the source was written? Be sure to indicate the source(s) of your information. Give priority to information that is likely to have a direct bearing on how you interpret the source. [about half a page] 2. Context for writing the source. Who wrote it? When? Why? What is it about? For whom did the author write? [about half a page] 3. Usefulness of the source. Answer the Guiding Questions in this section. What can be learned from the source? Give actual examples. Give specific examples of statements that are particularly biased. Does the author include a wealth of details that tell about what was happening around him or her? Does the author reveal anything about the general societal attitudes (e.g. towards religion, kingship, family life)? Try to go beyond a consideration of the basic facts presented in the source to analysis of larger insights into history which might be gained from the source. [at least two or three pages] 4. Conclusion. What is your overall assessment of the source? What are its strongest and weakest points? [up to one page, but at least half a page] Address only those that are relevant and reorganize to create a coherent whole within each section.