Research Guides: HIST 121: United States History to 1877 (Becker, Spring 2024): What IS a "good" Secondary Source? [Activity]

What makes a source "good" anyway?

Consider:

Who wrote the source?
When? Is it outdated?
What is their methodology / sources?
Who is the audience?
Who is the publisher?
Is their argument convincing?
Is the article/book related to your paper?

It this a Good Secondary Source?

Scenario:

I'm trying to place my primary source into historical context. Specifically, I want to understand what's happening at W&M, and at Virginia broadly, in the 1820s that causes the faculty of William & Mary to write this petition. Which of these secondary sources are actually helpful to my project?

Kale, Wilford, and Margaret. Thatcher. Hark upon the Gale : An Illustrated History of the College of William and Mary in Virginia. [2nd ed.]. Williamsburg, Va: Botetourt Press, 2007.
Taylor, Alan. Thomas Jefferson’s Education. First edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2019.
Rudolph, Frederick., and John R. Thelin. The American College and University : A History. Athens, Ga: University of Georgia Press, 1991.
Godson, Susan H., Ludwell H. Johnson, Richard B. Sherman, Thad W. Tate, and Helen C. (Helen Cam) Walker. The College of William and Mary : A History. v. 1. 1693-1888. Williamsburg, Va: King and Queen Press, Society of the Alumni, College of William and Ma
Osborne, Ruby Orders. The College of William and Mary in Virginia, 1800-1827. Thesis (Ed. D.)--College of William and Mary., 1981.
A House for a President: 250 Years on the Campus of the College of William and Mary