In the Examination of Ann Foster, the woman Anne Foster, confesses to being a witch. The author is a witness to her confession, making it a primary source. The author is trying to create a scene in Oregon during the Salem Witch Trials, and he does this by writing about Anne Foster 's experiences. The audience are the common people (citizens) who were waiting to see whether or not Foster would confess. Her confession began as follows: First, a bird came to her and promised her that if she followed him, that she would be successful. She thought it was the Devil himself. Foster claimed that it was the …show more content…
The author is John Winthrop, and his audience are the Puritans who are heading to America. The purpose of this writing was to lay down the law, so to speak. Meaning that because they were off to uncharted territory, there had to be some ground rules laid out before they got there. There were also many others who were going to look up to their colony one day, so it was important to set an example for them. He uses references to the Bible and God to make his point. The document starts off by explaining why God made man different from another, and cites several reasons. He argues that man should help one another in times of trouble. He mentions that they should" ...love thy neighbor as he loves himself" (Winthrop 1). Winthrop believes that they should display "love to an enemy" and that they should give beyond their abilities, but they must serve God first. Winthrop says that Christianity is bound by love, and it is love that causes people to do things out of sympathy, kindness, and the goodness of their hearts. It is because the fact that they are all similar, that they love their neighbor just as much as they love themselves. "Mutual love is very rewarding,", he writes. Winthrop also states that there will be punishment by God for those who break the covenant. These people will have their items taken away and future generations will read about them, so they …show more content…
It is a secondary source, and Townsend is trying to show some myths about this time in history, as well as how the colonists interacted with the natives in the New World. The work is intended for historians, students, and people who want to know the real story. She uses John Smith 's works against him in order to disprove some of his claims. For example, Smith wrote about how he was about to be executed by the Powhatan, but was saved at the last second by Pocahantas. She argues how this was untrue for various reasons, with one being; Pocahantas was likely only 10 years old at the time. Another reason she uses is that Smith always wrote about being his life being saved by a beautiful woman in the various countries he went to. She believes that Smith may have had an ulterior motive for making this story up. Townsend also refutes the myth that the Natives did not feel inferior to Europeans and certainly did not look up to them as gods. She writes about how the Powhattan were interested in learning about metals and guns, which the settlers had. They felt that if they let the settlers remain close to them, they could make significant technological advancements. This reading exposed me to some of the lies and distortions about Early America I had been taught previously, and it showed that there is always another side to the story.