Primary Sources and Their Historical Context

These flashcards cover key primary sources, their content, significance, and historical context as discussed in the lecture.

Eliza Wilkinson's Letter (1780)

A personal letter that shares a woman's direct experience during the American Revolutionary War in the South. It offers important details about the difficulties, fears, and strength of ordinary people, especially women, living under British control and dealing with the effects of war every day.

Boston King's Memoirs (1798)

A powerful personal story by Boston King, a black Loyalist who became free by fighting for the British during the American Revolutionary War. His memoirs give a rare first-person look at the difficult choices enslaved African Americans faced during the war, their journey to find freedom, and their lives after moving to Canada and then to Sierra Leone.

Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams (1786-1787)

A collection of letters between Mary Smith Cranch and Abigail Adams, two well-known women from the time of the American Revolution. These letters provide a close look into their personal lives, family duties, and what society expected from women after the war. They show how women helped keep families and communities together during a time of big political changes.

George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)

A very important speech by George Washington when he finished his time as president. It warned the American people about several dangers: creating lasting political parties, being divided by regional differences, and getting caught in endless alliances with foreign countries. He urged the nation to stay united and avoid taking sides in foreign conflicts.

Thomas Jefferson's Third Annual Address (1803)

A key speech by President Thomas Jefferson that laid out his main plans and his vision for how the growing American nation should be run as a republic. A major topic was the huge Louisiana Purchase, which he presented as a significant way to expand American land, support farming, and encourage people to move west, even though there were questions about whether the Constitution allowed it.

Felix Grundy's Speech (1811)

A strong speech in Congress by Felix Grundy, a leading 'War Hawk' from Tennessee. This speech clearly showed the strong desire for war that led to the War of 1812. Grundy argued for fighting Great Britain because of issues like the British forcing American sailors into their navy, encouraging Native American attacks, and disrespecting America's independence.

John Randolph's Speech (1811)

A notable speech by John Randolph of Roanoke, a politician from Virginia known for always defending the rights of states and believing the government should only do what the Constitution strictly says. In this speech, he spoke against the idea of going to war, raising concerns about the federal government getting too much power, the high cost of war, and how it might hurt the farming society in the South. He argued for a smaller, more limited federal government.

Basil Hall's Travels (1829)

A travel book written by British naval officer Basil Hall. It offers an outsider's observations and critical thoughts on American culture and society in the early 1800s. His writings give a unique foreign view of American customs, government, westward expansion, and the developing American identity, often showing a critical British perspective.

Jesse Hutchinson, Jr.'s 'Get Off the Track' (1844)

A very influential song written by Jesse Hutchinson, Jr. of the Hutchinson Family Singers, pushing for the end of slavery. This popular song used the image of a fast train to tell people to get off the 'foul car of Slavery' and join the movement for social change and immediate freedom for enslaved people, becoming a major song for the anti-slavery cause.

Thomas Allen's 'Low Bridge, Everybody Down' (1912)

A classic folk song, often connected to Thomas Allen (though who wrote it is sometimes debated). It vividly shows the hard and often dangerous daily lives of working people, especially the 'hoggees' or mule drivers, who pulled barges on New York's Erie Canal. It captures the feeling and difficulties of a very important time in American transportation and labor history.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

A very important law passed by the government to temporarily calm the growing fight over whether slavery could spread into new territories. It allowed Missouri to join the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state at the same time. Crucially, it banned slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase land north of the 36°30' parallel. This kept a careful balance of power between free and slave states in the Senate but also clearly showed the deep disagreements over slavery.

Thomas Jefferson to John Holmes (1820)

A thoughtful letter from former President Thomas Jefferson to Congressman John Holmes, expressing deep worry and a sense of coming disaster about the Missouri Compromise. Jefferson famously called the compromise a 'firebell in the night,' showing his fear that the increasing argument over slavery's spread would eventually cause the United States to break apart and destroy the nation.

Samuel Morse's 'Foreign Conspiracy against the Liberties of the United States' (1835)

A very patriotic and anti-Catholic pamphlet written by Samuel Morse, who invented the telegraph. In it, Morse expressed common fears held by native-born Americans about foreign influence, especially from Catholic European powers like Austria and the Pope. He believed these foreign powers were secretly working to weaken American democratic government, Protestant beliefs, and republican freedoms.

Angelina Grimke's 'Appeal to the Christian Women of the South' (1836)

A powerful anti-slavery booklet written by Angelina Grimke, a Quaker born in the South and a significant supporter of ending slavery and women's rights. In this bold call to action, she directly challenged Southern women, urging them to use their religious moral standing as Christians to actively fight against slavery, even though society usually limited women's involvement in politics.

Solomon Northup's 'Twelve Years a Slave' (1856)

A painful and very important memoir (a personal story) by Solomon Northup, a free-born African American man from New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South before the Civil War. His detailed story provides an extremely valuable direct account of the harsh realities of slave life, how enslaved people were treated like less than human, and the physical and emotional damage caused by slavery.

Sojourner Truth's 'Ain't I a Woman?' (1851)

A very famous speech given by Sojourner Truth, a woman who used to be enslaved, at the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. In her strong speech, she clearly spoke against common beliefs that women and black people were inferior. She used her own life experiences as proof to argue for both women's rights and the end of slavery, showing how issues of race and gender are connected.