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Narrator: You have been given four sources to read related to the Haitian Revolution – two are secondary sources and two are primary sources.

(Visual description: the screen shows the graphic organizer for Comparing and Contrasting Primary and Secondary Sources on the Haitian Revolution, that includes columns for Criteria for Comparison, Secondary Source #1, Secondary Source #2, Primary Source #1, and Primary Source #2; and rows for Title of document, Date document created, Author of document, Purpose/Audience of document, Author’s Point of View, Information that is similar to other sources (corroborated information), and Information that is different from other sources. The graphic organizer fades while the screen focuses on the columns of Secondary Source #1 and Secondary Source #2, followed by Primary Source #1 and Primary Source #2.)

Narrator: As you read, note the title of each document, the date it was created and the author.

(Visual description: a red outline highlights “Title of document,” followed by “Date document created” and finally “Author of document.”)

Narrator: Note that for Secondary Sources #1 and #2, the author of the document and the date written are unknown. These are online resources and if you were conducting research, you would need to verify these as reliable sources of information. For this activity, this was done for you.

(Visual description: the screen focuses on the rows “Title of document,” “Date document created” and “Author of document” for Secondary Sources #1 and #2. A red outline highlights the row with the criteria “Author of document,” and the cells that say “unknown” under Secondary Source #1, and “unknown” under Secondary Source #2. Then, another red outline highlights the row with the criteria “Date document created,” and the cells that say “unknown” under Secondary Source #1, and “unknown” under Secondary Source #2.)

Narrator: As you read each document, look for the information that tells you the purpose and audience for the document, and the author’s point of view.

(Visual description: the screen restores the view of the entire graphic organizer and highlights the criteria for “Author’s Point of View” and “Purpose/Audience of document.”)

Narrator: For example, in Primary Source #1, the purpose is to unite the Haitian people against the French and to gain support for the Haitian Revolution.

(Visual description: the screen focuses on the columns for Criteria for Comparison and Primary Source #1. Then, a red outline highlights the row with the criteria “Purpose/Audience of document,” and the cell that says “To unite the people of Haiti against the French and to support Haitian independence” under Primary Source #1.)

Narrator: Let’s compare Secondary Sources #1 and #2. They were both written to provide basic information about the Haitian Revolution, including details such as the Haitian Revolution produced the first independent black nation in the western world.

(Visual description: the screen focuses on the columns for Criteria for Comparison, Secondary Source #1, and Secondary Source #2. A red outline highlights the row with the criteria “Purpose/Audience of document,” and the cells that say “To provide the reader with background information on the Haitian Revolution” under Secondary Source #1, and “To provide the reader with an overview of the Haitian Revolution” under Secondary Source #2. The screen then scrolls to the row with the criteria “Information that is similar to other sources (corroborated information)” and a red outline highlights similar statements saying “The Haitian Revolution produced the first independent black nation in the western world” under both Secondary Sources #1 and #2.)

Narrator: These two sources also have information that is different. Secondary Source #1 attributes the French Revolution as inspiring the Haitian Revolution, while Secondary Source #2 indicates that European economic factors had a more direct influence.

(Visual description: the screen focuses on the row with the criteria “Author’s Point of View.” A red outline highlights the cell that says “The author believes that the French Revolution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man triggered the Haitian Revolution” under Secondary Source #1. Then, another red outline highlights the cell that says “The author believes that economic factors influenced European actions, and the French Revolution played a small role in the Haitian Revolution” under Secondary Source #2.)

Narrator: Another difference is the treatment of Toussaint. In Secondary Source #1 he was exiled by the French, and in Secondary Source #2 he died in a French prison.

(Visual description: the screen focuses on the row with the criteria “Information that is different from other sources.” A red outline highlights the statement “Toussaint was exiled by the French” under Secondary Source #1. Then, another red outline highlights the statement “Toussaint died in a French prison” under Secondary Source #2.)

Narrator: Now let’s see how Primary Source #1, the excerpt of the Haitian Declaration of Independence, is similar to and different from Secondary Sources #1 and #2.

(Visual description: the screen focuses on the columns for Criteria for Comparison, Secondary Sources #1 and #2, and Primary Source #1.)

Narrator: The Haitian Declaration of Independence corroborates or supports the information in both secondary sources that Dessalines took over the cause of independence after the French captured Toussaint by declaring Haitian independence in 1804.

(Visual description: the screen focuses on the row with the criteria “Information that is similar to other sources (corroborated information).” A red outline highlights the cell that says “Dessalines declared Haitian independence in 1804” under Primary Source #1. Then, another red outline highlights the statement “Jean Dessaline was the first ruler of Haiti” under Secondary Source #2. Finally, a third red outline highlights the statement “Jean Dessalines proclaimed himself ruler of Haiti” under Secondary Source #1.)

Narrator: But the information between these sources is also different. Secondary Source #1 states that Jean Dessalines became the first ruler of an independent Haiti, while Secondary Source #2 states that he declared himself emperor and was later assassinated. It is surprising that a man who declared Haitian independence in order to end slavery and free his country from French control would declare himself an emperor and be assassinated four years later. This information encourages the reader to examine other sources to discover why this occurred.

(Visual description: the column for Primary Source #1 disappears and all outlines dissolve except for the statement “Jean Dessalines proclaimed himself ruler of Haiti” under Secondary Source #1. Then, the screen scrolls to the row with the criteria “Information that is different from other sources” and a red outline highlights the statement “Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence from France and proclaimed himself as its emperor” under Secondary Source #2. This is followed by another red outline highlighting the statement “Dessalines was assassinated in 1806” under Secondary Source #2. Finally, the screen restores the view of the entire graphic organizer.)

Narrator: Primary Source #2, Toussaint’s memoir, corroborates the information in both secondary sources because he states that the purpose of his writing was to explain his actions to the French government.

(Visual description: the screen focuses on the columns for Criteria for Comparison, Secondary Sources #1 and #2, and Primary Source #2. Then, for the row with the criteria “Purpose/Audience of document,” a red outline highlights the statement “A report of his actions to the French government while he was imprisoned in a French jail” under Primary Source #2.)

Narrator: Both sources state that he was captured by the French.

(Visual description: the screen scrolls to the row with the criteria “Information that is similar to other sources (corroborated information)” and highlights the statements “Toussaint was captured by the French” under Secondary Source #1, and “Napoleon Bonaparte captured Toussaint and sought to restore slavery” under Secondary Source #2.)

Narrator: The difference between these sources deals with what happened to Toussaint after capture – whether he was exiled or imprisoned.

(Visual description: the screen scrolls to the row with the criteria “Information that is different from other sources” and highlights the statements “Toussaint was exiled by the French” under Secondary Source #1, and “Toussaint died in a French prison” under Secondary Source #2.)