Evidence: The Documents

Each Evidence section has 30 primary and secondary documents related to the unit. There are many types of documents: photos, maps, news articles, music, art, and videos that give students a more inclusive view of the past. Later exercises and questions will be built on these documents

The Evidence section within each of the 13 units includes 30 primary and secondary source documents in various media, which combine to provide a many-sided view of the past. Each document is identified by a short title, and is linked to 60-80 word descriptions. The description answers several questions about the document: who created it, when and where it was created, the time and place to which it applies, its purpose and historical significance.

The title at the beginning of the description (in capital letters) includes a date. This is the date of the documentÕs creation, rather than the date to which the document applies. This emphasis on the date of the documentÕs creation helps to focus users on going beyond creating a narrative of the pastÑit encourages them to distinguish primary from secondary documents, and explore debates about the past.

The keyword search function allows you to easily customize your selection of documents to fit your purpose. For example, if you teach a course focusing on Asia, you can select the keywords Asia, South Asia, etc., and you will see a list of those documents pertaining to that region.

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