Overview

This primary source analysis assignment will help you develop crucial skills in historical analysis. Specifically, you will be looking at two documents related to Women’s Suffrage and thinking about their content and historical significance.

Faculty Advice

When analyzing these suffrage documents, pay close attention to the strategies and arguments used by activists of the era. Consider how these women framed their demands in terms that would resonate with contemporary audiences, and think about how the visual presentation of information (maps, flyers) served as powerful tools for advocacy. Remember that primary sources reflect not just facts, but the perspectives and priorities of their creators.

Learning Outcomes

By completing this assignment, you will learn how to:

Apply historical research skills to major themes in American history since the end of the Civil War
Explain the development of the Progressive movement and assess the impact of the movement at the local, state, and national levels
Examine activism and the development of counterculture during the 1960s and 1970s
Analyze a primary source historical artifact and apply critical thinking to answer questions about its historical relevance

AI Use-Case

Independent Work Requirement: You must complete this Capstone independently without using AI tools. The goal is for you to showcase your own understanding and skills without AI assistance. To do so, you are expected to generate and submit original work developed solely through your own reasoning and effort.

Core Requirements

Format: Use the Primary Source Analysis Worksheet template provided
Length: Each response should be approximately 30-50 words long
Total Word Count: 120-200 words for the entire assignment
Sources: Two primary source documents plus Chapter 20 from textbook
Grammar: Use correct grammar and spelling throughout

Documents to Analyze

Document	Description & Source
Votes for Women	A 1912 suffrage map showing the status of women’s suffrage in each state. National American Woman Suffrage Association, “Votes for women,” Digital Public Library of America
Do it Now!	A flyer listing reasons for a constitutional amendment, printed by the National American Woman Suffrage Association, July 1918. “Flyer titled ‘Do it now. Support the Federal Suffrage Amendment’” Digital Public Library of America

Document

Description & Source

Votes for Women

A 1912 suffrage map showing the status of women’s suffrage in each state.

National American Woman Suffrage Association, “Votes for women,” Digital Public Library of America

Do it Now!

A flyer listing reasons for a constitutional amendment, printed by the National American Woman Suffrage Association, July 1918.

“Flyer titled ‘Do it now. Support the Federal Suffrage Amendment’” Digital Public Library of America

Analysis Questions

Use the textbook and the two documents to answer the following questions.

Question	Prompt
1	Summarize key arguments used by supporters of women’s suffrage, using Chapter 20 as a reference.
2	How did suffrage supporters utilize female voting rights in different countries in their arguments supporting suffrage?
3	Explain the trajectory of suffrage on the state level during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
4	Using Chapter 20 for reference, how does the Progressive Era concept of the New Woman explain the activation of the Women’s Suffrage Movement?

CAPSTONE RUBRIC: PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS – WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE

This rubric outlines how your primary source analysis will be evaluated. Each question is assessed on a scale from Poor (0 points) to Excellent (3 points). There are 150 total points possible for this Capstone.

Criteria	Weight	Poor (0 Points)	Fair (1 Point)	Good (2 Points)	Excellent (3 Points)
Summarize key arguments used by supporters of women’s suffrage, using Chapter 20 as a reference.	23%	Work is missing, off-topic, or does not meet word count.	Answer includes minimal details; rationale is unclear.	Answer includes basic context and adequate rationale.	Answer includes clear rationale with specific connections or examples.
Question 2 How did suffrage supporters utilize female voting rights in different countries in their arguments supporting suffrage?	23%	Work is missing, off-topic, or does not meet word count.	Answer includes minimal details; rationale is unclear.	Answer includes basic context and adequate rationale.	Answer includes clear rationale with specific connections or examples.
Question 3 Explain the trajectory of suffrage on the state level during the late 1800s and early 1900s.	23%	Work is missing, off-topic, or does not meet word count.	Answer includes minimal details; rationale is unclear.	Answer includes basic context and adequate rationale.	Answer includes clear rationale with specific connections or examples.
Question 4 Using Chapter 20 for reference, how does the Progressive Era concept of the New Woman explain the activation of the Women’s Suffrage Movement?	23%	Work is missing, off-topic, or does not meet word count.	Answer includes minimal details; rationale is unclear.	Answer includes basic context and adequate rationale.	Answer includes clear rationale with specific connections or examples.
Writing and Grammar Overall writing quality, grammar, spelling, and adherence to word count requirements	8%	Does not meet the basic requirements for word count OR the writing quality is poor with many errors.	Meets some requirements; the writing quality is fair and/or there are multiple errors.	Meets most requirements; writing quality is good but there may be a few errors throughout.	Meets all requirements; writing quality is very good with no errors or only one minor spelling/grammar/format error.

Evaluation Criteria

Each short answer will be evaluated on:

Relevant content: Direct engagement with the question and sources
Depth of content: Thoughtful analysis rather than surface-level summary
Use of primary sources: Clear reference to the provided documents
Length: Adherence to 30-50 word requirement per question

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APSTONE PROMPT: PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS