Primary Sources

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Primary sources--letters, opinions, sermons, petitions, and essays--offer us a personal, and often in-depth, look at how important events in the past influenced the lives of individuals and shaped the course of history. Read the primary source material, then answer the questions in the space provided.

Jonathan Edwards, from "Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England" (1742)

Michel-Guillaume-Jean de Crèvecoeur, from Letters from an American Farmer (1782)

J. Hector St. John Crèvecoeur, “What Is an American?” (1782)

This activity contains 2 questions.

Compare and contrast these three descriptions of the American character. Are they mutually exclusive or are they complementary?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

How important was religion in fashioning early American culture?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

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