Document Analysis
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Dec 6, 2023
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DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
1
Document Analysis
Reece Logan
Hist-2020-910
Author Note
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Reece Logan, East
Tennessee State University, 1276 Gilbreath Dr. Johnson City, TN 37614. Email:
Loganrm1@etsu.edu
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
2
1.
Title of Source:
Ronald Regan Address to the Association of American
Evangelicals 1983
2.
Q. Who is the author of the primary source?
A.
Ronald Regan (Staff Writers)
Q. Think about the following attributes (if you can tell) about the author:
race, sex, class, occupation, religion, age, region, political beliefs. (Use the
brief biography found on the top of the document)
A. Answering this question is fairly easy as Ronald Regan was the 40
th
President of the United States when this speech was written. He was a 72-
year-old, Caucasian, Christian Male who believed that “his views
represented 100% Americanism and that those who differed were either
deluded or suspect” (The Regan Library, 1983).
Q. What’s the background of the author?
A. Ronald Regan was a famous Hollywood actor with over 30 years of
experience in films and television. He was very well known throughout the
public.
Q. Would any of these characteristics shape their perspective?
A. It is quite possible that after years of starting in, producing, and
directing Hollywood pictures that showcased “American Ideals,” he began to
believe what he saw was absolute and what America should be.
Q. Does it matter?
A. It does matter in that his career helped shape him into the person he
became, what he believed, what ideals he lived by, etc. His career, as well as
he other personal experiences, exposure to religion, and everything else an
individual goes through, shapes their ideals, morals, and goals in life.
3.
Who is the intended audience of the primary source?
Q. Who was the author speaking to or was this source meant for one person’s
eyes, or for the public?
A.
The intended audience was the entire American Public; however,
President Regan was addressing the National Association of American
Evangelicals. This is easy to determine based on how the address
opens, “Those of you in the National Association of American
Evangelicals are known for your spiritual and humanitarian work”
(Regan, 1983).
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
3
Q.
How does this affect the source? Is the author able to be frank or honest?
Or are they accommodating their words to the audience?
A.
The audience itself does not affect the source as President
Regan was speaking his truth, a truth that actually got him
elected. He was always open and honest about his religion and
moral beliefs. There were no accommodating words in this
speech to either his presented audience or the general public
due to the fact that President Regan never minced words, and
always spoke from a strong moral and religious perspective
because that was who he was as a person.
4.
Describe the historical context.
Q. What was happening during this event or time period? (Please refer back
to the textbook to gather this context)
A.
This speech overall, or this specific excerpt is from President Regan’s
March 8
th
, 1983 address to the National Association of American
Evangelicals, this specific excerpt was part of a speech at the height
of the Cold War at which point President Regan refers to the Soviet
Union as the “Evil Empire,” and urges the American Public to see
what he sees in themselves, “their families, churches, neighborhoods,
communities, and the institutions that foster and nourish values like
concern for others and respect for the rule of law under God” (Regan,
1983). He also goes into detail regarding underage females being
provided with birth control and advice without parental consent.
5.
Think about the purpose of this source.
Q. What was the author’s message or argument?
A. The authors message/argument was for America to remain; moral,
helping others, and God fearing because these were, “tried and time-tested
values upon which our very civilization was based” (Regan, 1983). This
message/argument was also intended for those that have “become out of
step” and turned to “modern-day secularism” in an attempt to
“superintend” the general public and government. However, this was also
a rallying cry for those that felt as President Regan did because, those out
of step with what Regan believed, “were not yet a majority” (Regan,
1983).
Q. What powerful words or images did the author express to get their point across? Any
specific metaphors or symbols? Examples?
A. President Regan uses the examples of his exact battle in Washington during that time.
That “an organization of citizens, was deeply concerned regarding the number of
illegitimate births and abortions involving girls well below the age of consent” so they
created a nationwide network of clinics that were also “providing advice as well as birth
control drugs and devices to underage girls without the knowledge of their parents”
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DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
4
(Regan, 1983). He was trying to convey that these clinics, no matter how well
intentioned, were crossing a moral line that they should not be.
6.
What biases or stereotypes do you see?
Q. Examples?
A. The only stereotypes President Regan uses are when he refers to the “out of step”
side of the government, including the Supreme Court which a decade prior
“wiped off the books of fifty states statutes protecting the rights of unborn
children” (Regan, 1983). He also made it sound as if Congress itself was out of
step with the moral majority when he stated, “Human life legislation ending the
tragedy of more than 1.5 Million unborn children, would someday pass Congress”
and that “You and I must never rest until it does” (Regan, 1983).
7.
Q. What made you choose this document?
A. Ronald Regan was a very well-respected President when I was growing
up, and even now I often hear my father talk about “The Regan Years” when
the country as a whole seemed to be doing a lot better economically,
militarily, and most of all morally.
Q. Did you enjoy reading it? Why or why not?
A. I did thoroughly enjoy reading it. As a format, it was easier to read
because it was a speech. Comprehension was also easy as it was written for
the entire American Public regardless of who he may have been having the
Address for. It was really interesting to see what legislation was being
fought over during that time, and now seeing where our country is with some
of these same issues.
Q. What did you see that you didn’t expect?
A. I was not aware that even in 1983 they were dealing with and fighting over
abortions, contraception, underage pregnancies, and the rights of unborn children. It
was had for me to fathom that this has been a battle in congress for over 40 years.
B.
What about the source makes you curious?
A.
Nothing about this source makes me particularly curious as I already knew a lot
about Ronald Regan, his movies, and his Presidency from my father.
B.
What questions still remain?—What questions can this source NOT help you answer?
What are the limitations to this kind of source?
A.
The only questions this source (President Regan) cannot provide answers for is in
which direction the country, government, and Congress will finally land on these
same issues they have been battling for so long. At this point it seems as if these
issues will always be up for debate, but never really resolved.
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
5
REFERENCES
Regan, R. (2016, July 5).
Reagan, “evil empire,” speech text
. Voices of Democracy.
http://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/reagan-evil-empire-speech-text/