01.17.06
UIS Spring, 2006 - Understanding US History
I can tell already, this is going to be a fascinating class. This week’s readings are primary documents from the 17th century, while America had yet to be more than an escape for disgruntled Christians seeking religious tolerance and merchants seeking their fortune.
The first piece is 3 paragraphs from Descriptions of New York by Father Isaac Jogues. On the surface, they read as a bit of a travelogue but as an historian, one must delve into the details and search for the context. Why are these 3 paragraphs important enough to have survived into the 21st century? {Full Novum Belgium e-text or Project Gutenberg Narrative New Netherland.}
Here is what I do whenever approaching something like this:
- Read the piece and make notes. Make notes about why I’m making notes, explain to myself what my notes mean.
- Ask myself questions.
Who is Isaac Jogues?
Who is this Director General Fr. Jogues writes of?
There are references to “savages” and “incursions.” What happened to Jogues that he would write this way, or is this within the context of the time?
Who is Jogues writing to? - Then I do some research
A Google search reveals many articles, but this one from the Catholic Encyclopedia has a lot of information about Fr. Jogues that opens some new lines of inquiry.
And just for fun, there’s a picture of the Father Isaac Jogues Monument
I keep taking notes on each new piece of information. This gives me a good feel for the context of the time and the importance of the person writing the primary document.
Google: Father Isaac Jogues
Google Books: Father Isaac Jogues
Google Scholar: Father Isaac Jogues
Wikipedia: Isaac Jogues