Document Summary Assignment Instructions 1. You will find the web links for selected primary source documents, such as letters, laws, decrees, treaties, memoirs, etc., for each lesson in the "Documents" section of the weekly lesson plan. NOTE: The excerpts are NOT the introduction to the chapter, the study questions in a chapter, a section of text in the chapter (this text is black print on white background), nor commentary on a specific topic in a chapter. 2. You are to select two document excerpts as listed on the weekly lesson plan. 3. You write a 150-200 word summary of each document excerpt and a 150200 word reaction comments for each excerpt. Your summary should include the title of the document excerpt. Also use the heading “COMMENTS” to denote your comments separately from the document summary. Save all as a Word document. Here's the suggested format as a Word document: Title of Document 1 Summary: summary of document in your own words; required length 150-200 words Comments: personal thoughts, commentary, reaction to document selected; required length 150-200 words Title of Document 2 Summary: summary of document in your own words; required length 150-200 words Comments: personal thoughts, commentary, reaction to document selected; required length 150-200 words a. After composing the summary and comments as a Word document, you submit the document summaries and comments, using the respective week’s document summary assignment, to me for grading. b. Open the weekly document summary assignment. c. Click on the "write submission" button. d. Use “control+a” to highlight your entire document assignment submission in the Word document. e. Use “control+c” to copy your complete document assignment (document summaries and comments) from a word document. f. Place the computer cursor into the "write submission" box and click “control+v” to copy the complete assignment into the “write submission” box. DO NOT use the "comments" section at all. DO NOT attach the Word document or PDF to the assignment. g. Click on submit to submit the assignment for review and grading. EXAMPLE: Lesson 5: “Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789” Summary: This document is a translation of the “Declaration of the Rights of Man (Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen).” It is a collection of articles that was passed by the French National Assembly in August of 1789 and served as the core of the popular revolution. The lede paragraph acts as an introduction to the philosophy of the authors, as well as a statement of the document’s intent. From there it moves to the declaration of seventeen articles. The first is a statement that all people are born equal, and that discrimination is abhorrent. The second article promises them safety, possession, and freedom. The third prevents non-government actors from making or enforcing law. The fourth through sixth articles state that law is of the people, and that law should not forbid actions that have no victim. The next three promises due process, the presumption of innocence, and fair treatment. Articles ten and eleven amount to a promise of free speech and safe critique of the government. Article twelve though fourteen establish a national military under the sole control of the government, who’s funding is controlled by the public through their representatives. The final three state that the government must remain transparent and accountable to the public. Moreover, that the government has the right to relieve a citizen of their property when such action is justified. Comments: At first this statement would appear to be heavily influenced by the events and commentary unfolding in America. Many of the same standards and promises are echoed in the Declaration of Independence. However, our text smartly links the common thread between the two movements: The Enlightenment. All of these ideas are the evolution of realist and experimentalist philosophy. The pursuit of the New Sciences fostered several generations of results-oriented society. These people came to realize that the most successful society was the one that balanced respect and demands. They found humanism to be as much a tool of commerce as one of moral action. It did not take the average observer long to dissect the power moves made by the crown and church. That disenfranchisement drove them to embrace these articles that are almost the antithesis of a monarchy. I say “almost” because the royalty were not caricatures of authoritarianism. They still had to work with the population to some degree if they had any interest of keeping their heads. I had known the basic statements of the revolution previously, but this was the first time I have read them fully. Yet again, the French set about dragging the rest of Europe into the future. “Monroe Doctrine, Dec 2, 1823” Summary: This document is an excerpt of U.S. President James Monroe’s seventh annual message to Congress dated December 2nd, 1823. The first paragraph announces to the governments of Russia and Great Britain that the Americas are now the ward of the United States only, and as such all European colonization activities are to cease. The message is respectful and has been passed to the relevant parties through appropriate channels. The second paragraph reveals that the previous message to Congress had made mention of Spain and Portugal’s troubles, then admitted that the US has only been a bystander to the plights of the Europeans. Every action that has been taken was done so only out of self-defense. Next, it warns that the US will not be as reticent to take action against aggressions close to its territories. The last part of the paragraph promises that the U.S. will not infringe upon the sovereignty of its neighbors. The third paragraph reiterates that the US has thus far been uninvolved in the internal struggles in Europe while also adding that it has no intent ever to do so. The fourth and final paragraph is a message directed at Congress reminding them to put America first in their minds. Comments: It is certainly nice to get to the part of history where the English is similar enough to read easily. This declaration proved to be pivotal to the development of the Western Hemisphere. It would have been wonderful to be a fly on the wall when those messages were delivered to the Russians and the Brits. My extra reading has taught me that it has mostly survived to present day, excepting a few terrible decisions during the latter part of the 1900s. The only major challenge to it that I know of was the invasion of Veracruz by a European coalition force. However, once the US had recuperated from the Civil War, they made haste to expel the European forces. I suspect that removing the Americas from the picture forced Europe’s hand and made them deal with their problems at home. Monroe’s statement certainly set the tone of American foreign policy for nearly a century to follow. Moreover, even after that, the US still honored the spirit of the text at least publicly.
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