Homework: Using Primary Sources

Name: _______________
Period: _____________
Date: _______________

Navigate to the following primary sources in the Helen Keller Archive. Using the transcription and the metadata provided, answer the following questions.

Letter from Robert B. Irwin. NYC to R. E. Thompson. Tuscumbia Chamber of Commerce, AL

  1. Who wrote this letter? To whom?
  2. When was the letter written? Why?
  3. What does the letter say? What advice does the letter writer have for the recipient?
  4. Note any unfamiliar names or terms used in the letter. What information would help you more fully understand this letter?

Cartoon with Helen Keller published in Cairo by Akhbar El Yom

  1. Who published this cartoon? Where?
  2. When was this cartoon published? Why?
  3. What is depicted in the cartoon? What does the caption say?
  4. Who is the artist’s intended audience?
  5. What is the artist saying about local politics? How?
  6. Write down unfamiliar names or terms used in the letter. What information would help you more fully understand this letter?

Letter from Henry Ford to Helen Keller

  1. Who wrote this letter? To whom?
  2. When was the letter written? Why?
  3. What does the letter say? What does the letter writer ask of the recipient to do?
  4. Note any unfamiliar names or terms used in the letter. What information would help you more fully understand this letter?