Who created/wrote it?

Your Answer:

When was it written/published?

Your Answer:

The article was published on February 20,2015.

Where was it created?

Your Answer:

The article was published as a commentary at The New York Times.

What type of source is it? (i.e. Newspaper article, Memoir, Scholarly Article, etc.)

Your Answer:

The article is a newspaper article, particularly an op-ed entry.

Why do you think the author created this source?

Your Answer:

It can be implied that the article was written to highlight the critical importance of the publication of the landmark report on the history of lynching in the United States. In addition to this, and probably the most important reason for the publication of the article, it can also be implied that the authors aimed to direct attention to the marginalization of Mexican victims of lynching in the discourse.

How might the factors listed in the previous question shape the author’s perspective in this source?

Your Answer:

When and where the article was published could have affected the perspective of the authors in this article. The article was written days after the publication of the landmark document on the history of lynching and most likely, a number of articles in response to the event have already been written. Most likely too, these articles are focused on African-Americans since most of the popular lynching victims and events are or involved black Americans. It is possible that the authors felt the need to also pay attention to how the other cultural groups were victimized by lynching.

With regard to the place of publication, it can be argued that the substance of the article is in line with the ideological position of The New York Times as a newspaper company. Otherwise, the article could not have been published. The said newspaper company has been known to be critical on social issues and this critical subjectivity can also be discerned from the article of Carrigan and Webb. 

What is the author’s place in society? (profession, status, class, gender, ethnicity, etc.)

Your Answer:

Both authors are white male, college professor, researcher and book author. There is no available information on the net worth of the two, which could have provided us with an idea about their economic standing. Being professionals, however, it can be inferred that they are both members of the petty bourgeoisie class.One of the authors, Clive Webb, is an expert in Anglo-American relation, political violence and race and ethnicity. William Carrigan, on the other hand, has published books on history. 

Who is the intended audience for this source?

Your Answer:

It can be implied that the intended audience of the article is the general American public. Lynching is a significant part of American history as it claimed a number of lives, which has since further deepened the division between white Americans and the cultural minorities such as the Mexicans. There is a need to provide a complete narrative about lynching in order to provide Americans with a holistic view of one of the most heinous crimes ever committed against the cultural minorities. 

What is the author’s argument? 

Your Answer:

The main argument of the article is that Americans are largely unaware that Mexicans were frequently the targets of lynch mobs, from the mid-19th century until well into the 20th century, second only to African-Americans in the scale and scope of the crimes and that by giving the recognition that the Mexican victims of lynching deserve, America will be able to have a complete collective memory. 

How might the intended audience shape the perspective of this source?

Your Answer:

Since the article is addressed to the general American public, it can be inferred that the perspective of the article was framed in such a way that it has breadth in terms of appeal and depth in terms of focus.

Is this source consistent with what you know about the historical record from that time?

Your Answer:

Upon review of the available literature on lynching, there was really a significant number of Mexicans who were targeted for lynching. The book of Manfred Berg entitled Popular Justice: A History of Lynching in America, which I read some years ago, confirms this information. Because of this, the Carrigan and Webb article is consistent with the existing body of literature.

Under what specific historical circumstances was this source created?  In other words, was there anything happening at the time that might have influenced the author’s perspective?

Your Answer:

The only historical circumstance that could have an impact on the content of the article is the publication of the landmark report on the history of lynching in America. 

Are any historical perspectives left out of this source?

Your Answer:

I think that the article was able to recognize all historical perspective on lynching.

What biases or other cultural factors might have shaped the message of this source?

Your Answer:

I think that the authors did not have any bias arising from cultural factors in writing the article. The focus on Mexicans– instead of Asian Americans, Native Americans and other cultural minorities– is likely to have been motivated by the fact that Mexicans have the greatest number of victims next to African-Americans and the fact that Latinos form part of the emerging economic force in US economy. With their increased economic relevance, there appears to be a compelling need to properly situate Mexicans in the history of lynching. 

Depending on when it was written, how do the ideas and values in the source differ from the ideas and values of our time?

Your Answer:

I think that the ideas and perspectives about lynching contained in the article are just the same as the prevailing perspectives at present. Three years after the publication of the Carrigan and Webb article, no report has been published providing a new dimension to lynching as a historical event.   

What historical facts do you learn from this source?

Your Answer:

I have learned a lot of historical facts from the source. First, I learned that Mexicans were frequently the targets of lynch mobs, from the mid-19th century until well into the 20th century, second only to African-Americans in the scale and scope of the crimes. I also learned that from 1848 to 1928, mobs murdered thousands of Mexicans, though surviving records allowed us to clearly document only about 547 cases. It is worthy to note that lynching against the population occurred not only in Southern states (which are closer to Mexico) but also those from afar such as Wyoming and Nebraska. Lastly, I also learned that lynching against Mexicans was mostly carried out by law enforcement authorities as opposed to the lynching of African-Americans which was conducted primarily by private individuals.

What questions are left unanswered by this source?

Your Answer:

I think the article was not able to address the question of why did Mexicans suffer more from lynching than the other cultural minorities in the United States.

What kind of research question could you use this source to answer?

Your Answer:

I think the source can be used to analyze the stratification of American society from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.