Sourcing

Explain the significance of a source’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience, including how these might limit the use of a source.

Explain how a primary source might be unreliable because of its author, purpose, audience, or time period written.

How

Identify the HIPP

historical situation: what events were going on at the time the document was written?

intended audience: for whom (specifically, generally) was the document intended?

purpose: what was the author trying to accomplish?

point of view: who (specifically, generally) produced the document?

Explain the HIPP: how does it make the document reliable/unreliable?

Example

“One of the things that struck me most in Peru was its great, splendid highways, and I wondered how many men it must have required to build them and what tools and instruments were used to level the mountains and cut through the rock to make them as broad and good as they are. It seems to me that if the king of Spain wanted to build a highway from Quito to Cuzco, I do not think that he could do it even with all of his power unless he followed the method that the Inca employed.

When an Inca king decided to build one of these highways, all he needed to do was give the command. Then, the inspectors would go through the provinces, laying out the highway’s route and assigning Indians to help build the road. In this way, the road was built in a short time from one boundary of the kingdom to the other. The Inca rulers built many of these roads and were so full of pride that when one ruler died, his heir would build his road larger and broader if he intended to set out on a conquest.”

Pedro Cieza de León, Spanish soldier and historian, Chronicles of Peru, 1553

Historical Situation

“Spanish soldier...1553”

Identify: Spanish conquer Incas in early 1500s, a task made easier by the Great Dying since Incas had no resistance to European diseases. There will be several Incan rebellions, which the Spanish will suppress, to achieve complete control of the Inca Empire.

Explain: This document details the Incan Road network which the Spanish will use to consolidate their control over the Incas.

Intended Audience

“Chronicles of Peru”

Identify: Published his book Chronicles of Peru when he returned to Spain; intended for people in Spain

Explain: In the 1500s, books are still relatively expensive items for people to have. In order to encourage people to buy his book, he may have sensationalized information to drive up demand, thus making him a less reliable source of information.

Purpose

“great, spendid highways....make them as broad and good as they are....the road was built in a short time from one boundary of the kingdom to the other”

Identify: Described the greatness of Incan empire by using terms such as “splendid highways.”

Explain: Spain had already conquered the Incas. This means de Leon could accurately describe the achievements of the Incan Empire and the Spanish would feel superior because they had conquered an enormous empire.

Point of view

“Spanish soldier and historian”

Identify: Spanish soldier and historian

Explain: Since he spent years living among the surviving Inca, his descriptions can be taken as accurate. He also uses positive descriptions of the Inca such as “splendid highways” and negative descriptions of the King of Spain’s power. This indicates he is not your typical prejudiced Spanish conquistador which gives his descriptions more reliability.

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