Welcome to Sourcing and Situation!

Think of this chapter as your "History Detective" training. In AP United States History, you aren't just memorizing names and dates; you are learning how to look at a historical document and figure out what is happening "behind the scenes." This skill is officially called Sourcing and Situation (Skill 2), and it is one of the most important tools you will use on the AP Exam.

Don't worry if this seems a bit abstract at first! We’re going to break it down into four simple questions you can ask any document to uncover its secrets.

What is Sourcing?

Sourcing is the act of investigating a document to see where it came from and why it was created. On the AP Exam, you will be asked to identify, explain, and evaluate the significance of a source's origins. This helps you decide how much you can trust a source and what it can actually tell us about the past.

The "Big Four" of Sourcing

To master this skill, APUSH students often use a mnemonic (memory aid). A popular one is HIPP. Let's look at what each letter stands for:

1. Historical Situation (The "H")

Definition: What was going on in the world or the country at the time this document was created? How does that "background noise" affect the document?

Everyday Analogy: If you see a photo of someone wearing a heavy winter coat, the "situation" is likely that it is cold outside. The coat makes sense because of the environment.

APUSH Tip: Look at the date of the document first! If a letter was written in 1862, the Historical Situation is the Civil War. That conflict will likely influence everything the writer says.

2. Intended Audience (The "I")

Definition: Who was the author specifically talking to? Was it a private diary entry, a public speech, or a secret letter to a king?

Everyday Analogy: Think about how you talk to your best friend versus how you talk to your grandmother. You change your language, your tone, and even what information you share based on who is listening.

Key Point: If a document is a public speech (like Washington’s Farewell Address), the author is likely trying to be formal and persuasive to a large group of people.

3. Purpose (The "P")

Definition: Why was this document created? Is the author trying to persuade, inform, scare, or complain?

Everyday Analogy: A commercial for a new phone has a clear purpose: to get you to spend money. It’s not going to tell you about the phone's flaws because that doesn't fit its purpose.

Quick Review: Always ask yourself, "What does the author want the reader to do or think after reading this?"

4. Point of View (The "P")

Definition: Who is the author, and how do their background, job, or beliefs shape what they say? This is often called POV.

Everyday Analogy: If two people are describing a football game, a fan of the winning team and a fan of the losing team will have very different "Points of View" on the referee's performance!

APUSH Tip: Look for the author's "identity." Are they a Federalist? An abolitionist? A Loyalist? Their "team" tells you a lot about their bias.

Moving from "What" to "Why" (Skill 2.C)

Identifying the audience or purpose is the first step (Skill 2.A), and explaining it is the second (Skill 2.B). But to get the highest scores, you must explain the significance (Skill 2.C).

Significance means explaining how the sourcing element affects the document's message or reliability. You should ask:

  • Does the Purpose make the author exaggerate their claims?
  • Does the Audience cause the author to leave out certain facts?
  • Does the Historical Situation explain why the author sounds so angry or hopeful?

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't just "name-drop" the sourcing. For example, don't just say, "The audience was the American people." Instead, say, "Because the intended audience was the American people, the author used patriotic language to make his argument more popular."

Sourcing on the AP Exam

Sourcing isn't just a fun exercise; it is a requirement for several parts of the exam:

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)

You will see 55 questions in sets of 3–4. Each set is built on a "stimulus" (a primary text, image, map, or chart). You must use your sourcing skills to analyze these stimuli to find the correct answer.

Short-Answer Questions (SAQs)

There are three required SAQs. Question 1 uses secondary sources, while Question 2 uses a primary text. You will often have to explain how the sourcing of these texts leads to different historical interpretations.

The Document-Based Question (DBQ)

This is where sourcing is most critical! In Row D of the DBQ rubric, you can earn 1 point for sourcing. To get this point, you must successfully explain the POV, Purpose, Historical Situation, or Audience for at least two of the seven documents provided.

Note: To learn more about the specific structure of the DBQ and Long Essay, see the chapter on "Document-Based Question and Long Essay Craft."

Quick Review: The Sourcing Checklist

When you encounter a document, run through these questions:

1. Situation: What is the "big picture" happening right now? (e.g., The Great Depression, The Cold War)

2. Audience: Who is reading/watching this? How does that change the tone?

3. Purpose: What is the goal? (To win an election? To start a reform movement?)

4. Point of View: Who is speaking? What are their "labels" (e.g., Progressive, Anti-Federalist)?

Key Takeaway: Sourcing is about understanding that no document is perfectly neutral. Every piece of evidence was created by a real person with a specific goal, in a specific time, for a specific reason. Once you understand that, you’re thinking like a historian!