There are many reasons why social studies educators across the country recommend that their students grapple with primary sources:

• Reading primary sources helps students see where our knowledge of the past comes from.
• It demonstrates to students that there are multiple voices from the past, not just a single narrative or a single objective truth.
• It enables students to sharpen their critical reading and thinking skills.
• It increases student engagement by organizing learning around compelling questions, such as: What happened? How did it happen? Why did it happen? How do we know this is what happened?
• Primary sources provide ample material for student discussion, collaboration, disagreement and debate.
• The more effort students put into learning something, the more likely it is they will assimilate and remember it. By grappling with primary sources, students will better learn and understand early American history.