A Reflection: Why Asking Questions About Primary Sources Matters

In preparing for a Constitution Day post featuring the Constitution primary source set, I encountered a source that made me pause and ask more questions: Thomas Jefferson’s chart of state votes. My experiences of observing, reflecting, and asking questions of the source led me to write this post instead, which outlines my process and offers ideas for engaging students.

Observing the source

Looking at the item, I saw something that I didn’t expect. I noticed that the first column was labeled “Articles” and has twelve rows.

This surprised me given there were seven articles in the Constitution. I also found it odd that Jefferson would have tallied state votes by article.

Reflecting, more observing, and starting to question

Reflecting on prior knowledge, I remembered that the Bill of Rights as originally proposed contained twelve amendments. However, I also knew that the Bill of Rights wasn’t sent out to the states for ratification until 1789. The date on the upper right corner of the item stated [1788].

That clue brought more questions. When was this date applied? Who applied the date?

The Constitution was still in the process of being ratified in 1788, so perhaps this could be a count of votes by state. However, the number of articles was throwing me off. I double-checked Washington’s copy of the draft Constitution and his letter presenting the Constitution to the states for ratification. The sources confirmed what I thought: the original draft Constitution included seven articles and that the instructions to the state legislatures made no mention of a yay or nay vote on individual articles.

More reflecting, articulating my questions, seeking out new information

I took my observations and reflections to some colleagues. We looked at the source together, and they shared some of my questions. This process helped me identify additional information I wanted to know and where I might go to find it. A colleague reminded me I might check in with a reference specialist and the Library’s research guide on the Constitution.

Re-observing, reflecting, and questioning

Feeling more confidence in my observations that something wasn’t quite right, I went back to the source and reflected on an additional clue: the states that had voted in the affirmative.

I recalled that North Carolina and Rhode Island, the final two states to ratify the Constitution, didn’t do so until 1789. Yet, on the Jefferson vote count, both states were listed as voting in the affirmative in 1788. I summarized my observations, reflections, and questions and shared them with colleagues.

As it turned out, questioning was just the thing this source needed. It turned out that the date did indeed need to be 1789, not 1788, and that the state votes were likely for the ratification of the 12-amendment Bill of Rights, not the Constitution. We let other Library colleagues know so they could consider updating this information.

What I learned and why (I think) it matters for students

While this experience could apply to sources related to any topic or issue, it feels somewhat fitting and fulfilling that an item such as Jefferson’s notes from the 18th century can still bring new discoveries. It’s a reminder to me that we are all part of and can participate in the grand effort to examine the country’s history and contribute to its shared understanding.

You don’t have to be a library employee to explore and ask questions. For students (and teachers!), I hope this story might offer insight that the Library is both for and informed by the public. Students’ questions, no matter how practiced they are in primary source analysis, can also lead to new information, improved understanding, and ownership of their own learning process.

Note that the item record for this source may change over time to reflect new information. We encourage you to ask questions if you have them!