Guided Primary Source Analysis: Has the war ruined the country?

Read the headline and the four lines of text just under the headline. Then look at the footer text at the bottom of this page. Who do you think was the audience for this broadside? Explain the reasoning behind your conclusion. (Hint: If you need help answering this, there is one particular word that you should research.)

What can you learn about the evidence referenced in this broadside just by looking at the diagrams? (Don’t read the text below the diagrams yet!)

Access a larger version of this document to study the text more closely. Then briefly describe the three main arguments the text provides to answer the question posed by this broadside: Has the war ruined the country? Are the arguments strong or weak? Explain your thinking.

What other observations, reflections or questions does this source inspire? Let us know!