How to analyze an historical text?

1. Read the text carefully and try to understand all the concepts and expressions.

2. Explain the kind of text it is, justifying your answer:

• Historical or historiografical
• Primary or secondary source
• Topic of the text: legal, political, economic, social, testimony, literature, journalistic or a mix of them

3. Main ideas. Locate them in the text (quotes) and, once they are summarized, explain them using your knowledge about the topic, relate with what is happening in the period and why the author writes it. (It is the longest part of the exercise)

4. Historical context: Data an place where it was written. For example, if the topic is social, talk about the society of the period and if it will evolve. Do it briefly (10 lines) and in general, without references to the text.

5. Author and proposal: If you have studied the author talk briefly about him. If the name doesn't appear or you don't know it, try to deduce his opinion and social group. For ending, explain clearly his purpose when he wrote the text. Use the text for justifying your explanations.