INTRODUCTION:
In order to understand the past, historians must bring together multiple types of sources. This is particularly important when studying people who did not leave their own narratives in large quantity, as is the case for African slaves and their descendants. Although there are some historical narratives written by slaves, it’s difficult to find their “voice” in the sources. This makes it all the more important to consider other types of information, such as the archaeological record or quantitative data. For this week’s group discussion, you have the choice to focus on one specific type of source associated with African history and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Qualitative (historical texts), Quantitative (numerical information collected from various primary sources), or Visual (art, artifacts, photographs).
Download ONE of the following files based on the type of source you find most interesting.
Your first post must answer the following question in roughly 300-500 words:
What types of information can you extract from your “type” of source (qualitative, quantitative, or visual) that you believe is unique in comparison to the other types of sources? Draw specific examples from your sources as evidence.