HIS 100 Secondary Source Analysis Worksheet
Prompt
: Replace the bracketed text with information from a secondary source of your choice. Be sure to include specific examples (page numbers, etc.). See the
Sample Secondary Source Analysis Worksheet for reference on how to complete this assignment.
Full APA citation
Messer, R. L. (1985). New evidence on Truman's decision.
Bulletin of the Atomic
Scientists
,
41
(7), 50–56. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1080/00963402.1985.11455999
Identify author and describe potential biases.
Professor Messer is a professor of history at the University of Illinois. He has three books
published by the scholastic library. Due to his professionalism, I believe him to be free of bias.
Identify thesis and arguments.
Many people debate over if the atomic bomb was dropped to win a war or win a nuclear race
against Germany. evidence surfaces of Truman's own words America has won the race against
the Germans. [pg.55]Messer found out that both Hiroshima and Nagasaki both could have
been leveled by conventional bombing but were left for virgin atomic targets.
What primary sources did the source rely on?
Declassified government documents presidential papers privately held manuscript
Is the source reliable and convincing? Why or why not?
The source is reliable. The author does not have any bias. He is curious to find out if he
dropped the bomb to win a race or to save lives.
How does the source relate to your project topic? How does it
add to what you already know about the topic?
The decision to drop the bomb forever changed warfare as we know it. The decision to
disregard thousands of lives shows America's atrocities.
1
