History of California: The Watts Riots of 1965
Here are some basic questions to ask yourself when first encountering a primary source.
1. Who wrote it?
2. Why was it written?
3. Who is the intended audience?
Analytical questions:
1. When was it written?
2. What do some the authors imply without saying?
3. What sort of narratives do the sources seem to back up?
4. What kind of stereotypes do you see in the document?
5. Some of the sources are sympathetic. But are they respectful? Why or why not?
6. What can you surmise about the relationship between the priests and the Native Americans, or the police and the inhabitants of Watts?
7. Can you ever spot the ‘voice’ within these sources, even when it is not the narrator doing the talking?
8. How is the tone different in the later documents than in the earlier ones?
