Primary Source Analysis #2

Primary Source Analysis #2:

In conjunction with our discussion of combatting piracy on the high seas on Wednesday, March

4th, you will be asked to read through an excerpt from the log of the Somerset, one of two vessels

outfitted by local merchants in Barbados to hunt down Bart Roberts. This reading can be found

in the Files module on Canvas and is entitled Document 44: A Skirmish with Bartholomew

Roberts (1720). For your assignment, you will be asked to analyze the primary source reading

and complete the following:

1. Describe the historical context behind the primary source reading. Explain what events

were happening at the time and why they were occurring.

2. Briefly explain what the source is, who the person writing it was, what it is about, and

who the intended audience was.

3. Explain what this document says about the historical time period in which it was

produced and the actors involved, specifically the Golden Age of Piracy in the early 18th

century. You also want to describe what we can learn from this document about the period

and what it can tell us about how pirates were confronted at sea. Essentially, you want to

connect the content of the primary source to the historical context.

A rubric has been attached with the assignment to give you an idea of how I plan to grade it. This

will be your best guide to understanding what I expect for this assignment. Additionally, you are

only allowed to use the book and my lectures as sources other than the documents. DO NOT

USE ANY OTHER SOURCES OR YOU WILL BE SEVERELY PENALIZED!!!

To cite the information you use in your assignment, please use MLA-style in-text

citations/parentheses. When citing the book, put the authors name and the page number in

parentheses. When citing the source, just put the title of the source in the parentheses. When

citing my lectures, put it as follows

(Professor Chadarevian, Lecture, date of lecture)

I strongly recommend you structure your writing into paragraphs as it will make it flow

smoother. Your assignment also needs to be at least 600-700 words long, double-spaced, and in

Times New Roman, 12pt. font. Though I will be accounting for these factors as I grade, I will

primarily be grading you for how sufficient your analysis of the primary source is and the overall

content of your assignment. Please email me if you have any questions about the assignment.

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