LEAP - Louisiana Educational Assessment Program Analyzing Primary Source Documents Questions and Answers

Question 1

A historian is analyzing a political cartoon from 1910 that shows a large, wealthy man labeled 'Big Business' handing a bag of money to a smaller politician.
What is the most likely purpose of this primary source?

Accepted Answer

To persuade viewers that corporate money was corrupting politics.

Answer

To provide a factual, unbiased report on political salaries.

Answer

To celebrate the close relationship between business and government.

Answer

To create an official government record of a financial transaction.

Question 2

A student is researching the experiences of Louisiana soldiers during World War II and finds a collection of letters a soldier sent to his family. When evaluating these letters as a primary source, which question is MOST critical for understanding the context of the documents?

Accepted Answer

What was the soldier's rank and where was he stationed when he wrote the letters?

Answer

How many pages was the longest letter in the collection?

Answer

Was the soldier's handwriting neat and easy to read?

Answer

Did the soldier's family save every letter he sent?

Question 3

Scenario: You are reading a diary entry from a resident of New Orleans dated August 28, 2005, the day before Hurricane Katrina made landfall. The entry expresses mild concern but an overall belief that the storm will not be as bad as predicted. Which of the following statements represents the most valid use of this document for a historical project?

Accepted Answer

This document offers insight into the public mood and perception of risk just before the storm hit.

Answer

This document is unreliable because the author's prediction was wrong.

Answer

This document proves that the government's storm warnings were not taken seriously by anyone.

Answer

This document is the single best source for understanding the full impact of Hurricane Katrina.

Question 4

A student is comparing two primary source documents about the 1811 German Coast Uprising in Louisiana. Document A is a report from a plantation owner describing the event as a violent, unprovoked rebellion. Document B is a transcript of a later oral history from a descendant of an enslaved person. To get a more complete understanding of the event, what is the best approach?

Accepted Answer

Analyze both documents, recognizing they come from different perspectives and may both contain valid information and biases.

Answer

Conclude that the plantation owner's account is more accurate because it was written closer to the time of the event.

Answer

Dismiss the oral history as unreliable because it is not a written document from 1811.

Answer

Assume the truth is exactly halfway between the two different accounts.

Question 5

Which of the following is the best definition of 'sourcing' when analyzing a primary source?

Accepted Answer

Identifying who created the document, when and where it was created, and for what purpose.

Answer

Summarizing the main idea of the document in your own words.

Answer

Comparing the document to other sources to check for accuracy.

Answer

Reading the document carefully to understand its specific claims and evidence.

Question 6

An excerpt from the 1803 Louisiana Purchase treaty states: 'The inhabitants of the ceded territory shall be incorporated in the Union of the United States and admitted as soon as possible... to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages and immunities of citizens...' Based on this text, what is the most reasonable inference?

Accepted Answer

Ensuring the legal and civil rights of the territory's residents was a key part of the agreement.

Answer

The inhabitants were all fluent in English at the time of the purchase.

Answer

The treaty writers believed the territory would become a state within one year.

Answer

All inhabitants of the territory were eager to become U.S. citizens.