Document Analysis Worksheet
This worksheet helps students practice analyzing historical documents, identifying author's purpose, audience, and context.
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Document Analysis Practice
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Read the provided document carefully. Then, answer the questions that follow, paying close attention to the source, context, audience, purpose, and historical significance of the document.
Excerpt from 'Common Sense' by Thomas Paine, 1776
"Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a Government, which we might expect in a country without Government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer."
1. What is the author's main argument regarding government in this excerpt?
2. Who was the likely intended audience for 'Common Sense'?
3. What was the historical context in which this document was written? How might this context influence Paine's message?
4. Thomas Paine argued that government is always a blessing.
True
False
5. According to Paine, society is a , but government is a necessary .
6. Which of the following best describes Paine's attitude towards monarchy?
He believed it was the most stable form of government.
He saw it as a divinely appointed system.
He was highly critical, viewing it as a source of oppression.
He thought it was suitable for some nations but not others.
7. Imagine you are a colonist reading 'Common Sense' in 1776. Write a short journal entry (5-7 sentences) reflecting on how Paine's arguments might have influenced your views on independence.