Know what kind of source you have
A primary source was created by someone who took part in or witnessed the events: a letter, a speech, a law, a diary, a photograph, or a cartoon published at the time. A secondary source was written later by someone studying those events, such as a textbook passage or a historian’s article.
Before reading the document itself, read the source line, the small text that names the author, the date, and sometimes the setting. A senator’s speech during a debate will argue a side; a government report is meant to inform.
- Author: who created it, and what role did they have?
- Date: what was happening at that time?
- Audience: who was it meant to persuade or inform?
- Purpose: to argue, report, record, or entertain?
Reading text excerpts
Older excerpts have long sentences and unfamiliar words. Do not try to decode every phrase. Find the main claim, often in the first or last sentence, and restate it in plain words on your scratch paper.
Questions about founding documents often test whether you can apply the text to a situation. The answer usually depends on who is limited or what is protected.
Worked example
The First Amendment begins: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” Which action conflicts most directly with these words: a city requiring a permit for a parade, Congress passing a law that names an official national church, or a private company firing an employee over a social media post?
- Restate the text: Congress may not set up an official religion, stop people from practicing their religion, or limit speech or the press.
- Test the national church law: it is Congress establishing a religion, which the text directly forbids.
- Test the parade permit: it sets the time and place of an event and does not name a religion or ban a message, so it is not a direct conflict with these words.
- Test the private company: the amendment limits government, not private employers, so it does not apply.
- Answer: the law naming an official national church.
Fact, opinion, and point of view
A fact can be checked: a date, a number, an event that happened. An opinion is a judgment people could disagree with, often signaled by words such as best, should, unfair, disastrous, or I believe. GED questions ask you to pick out each one, or to describe the author’s view.
Bias means a source favors one side by leaving out facts, using loaded language, or choosing only supporting examples. A biased source is still useful: a factory owner’s letter about a strike shows how owners saw it, even if it says little about what workers wanted. When a question asks how reliable a source is, think about what the author knew and what they had reason to emphasize.
Worked example
Suppose a 1935 newspaper editorial says: “The Social Security Act passed the Senate this week by a vote of 77 to 6. It is a reckless experiment that will burden every employer in the nation.” Which part is a fact and which is an opinion?
- Check the first sentence: a vote count and an event can be confirmed in public records, so it is a fact.
- Check the second sentence: “reckless” and “burden” are judgments others could dispute, so it is an opinion.
- Note the point of view: the writer opposes the law, so read the rest of the editorial with that in mind.
Reading political cartoons
A political cartoon makes an argument with a picture, using symbols, labels, exaggeration, and a caption. Treat it like a short opinion piece, not a joke you need to get.
Read every label and the caption first; they tell you who each figure represents. Then identify the symbols: Uncle Sam often stands for the United States, a donkey for the Democratic Party, an elephant for the Republican Party, a bear for Russia or the Soviet Union, and a dove for peace. Next, note what is exaggerated, such as a huge figure over small ones, which often shows power or threat. Finally, check the date.
Worked example
Imagine a cartoon from the early 1900s. A giant octopus labeled “Trust” wraps its arms around buildings labeled “Steel,” “Railroads,” and “Oil,” and one arm reaches toward the U.S. Capitol. Small figures labeled “Public” look up in fear. What is the cartoonist’s message?
- Read the labels: the octopus is a trust, a large business combination; the buildings are major industries; the Capitol stands for Congress.
- Interpret the symbol: an octopus grabbing many things suggests one power reaching into everything.
- Notice the exaggeration: the trust is enormous, and the public is tiny and afraid.
- Connect to the era: the early 1900s were the Progressive Era, when many people called for limits on monopolies.
- State the message: big monopolies controlled key industries and threatened to control government, leaving the public powerless.
Answering the question and comparing sources
Answer only what is asked. The most tempting wrong choices are statements that are true in history but not supported by this document, and statements that go further than the author did. If a choice could be true but the source does not show it, eliminate it.
Some questions pair two documents, such as speeches on opposite sides of a debate. Summarize each in one sentence before reading the choices, then ask where they agree, where they differ, and why: different authors, dates, or interests.
- Find the exact words the question points to.
- Cross out choices that bring in outside facts the source does not mention.
- Watch for absolute words such as always, never, and all, which often make a choice too strong.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to memorize historical documents for GED Social Studies?
- No. Excerpts are printed with the questions. Knowing key documents such as the Constitution helps you read faster, but the answer comes from the text.
- How do I figure out a political cartoon’s message?
- Read the labels and caption, identify the symbols, notice what is exaggerated, and connect the cartoon to the issues of its date. Then state the cartoonist’s argument in one sentence.
- What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source?
- A primary source was created at the time by someone involved, such as a letter or a speech. A secondary source was written later by someone studying the events, such as a textbook.