06.

07 Evaluating Primary Sources

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The U.S. public grew disillusioned with the U.S. government during the Vietnam War. Much of this was
due to it being the first “living room war.” People saw images from the war, primary sources, on their
televisions and other media. They evaluated what they saw against what the government told them and
formed their own evidence-based ideas.

For this assignment, analyze the images below to help you respond to each question. Use evidence from
the text to support your responses. Each response should include a minimum of five sentences.

Part 1
A photograph can be historically significant if it provides information about the past that is useful to
people today. Consider these questions as you view the images below.

● How does the photograph inform you about an important event?

● Are there lasting effects on society from the event portrayed in the photograph?
● Did the event in the photograph cause change, either at the time or since then?
● How does the photograph portray trends or changes in society?

Note: Do not submit responses to these questions. They are intended only to get you
thinking about how images can tell stories.

Now, scroll to the next page to analyze the images. Pay close attention to the captions.

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 Left image: U.S. Air Force napalm attack victim Nguyen Thi Thu Anh, Vietnam 1971
© akg-images / Universal Images Group / Image Quest 2021
Right image: U.S. Air Force napalm attack victim Dao Xuan Dat, Vietnam 1971
© akg-images / Universal Images Group / Image Quest 2021

Part 2
Each response should include a minimum of five sentences.

Question 1: What event is depicted in the photographs in Part One?

A U.S. Air Force napalm attack on Vietnam in 1971. Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent
and a volatile petrochemical. One of the things people first noticed about it was its viability as an
incendiary device to be used in firebombing campaigns during World War II. This is exactly what they
used it for, and attacked Vietnam, leaving the two people in the photos with severe injuries.

Question 2: Why are the photographs historically significant?

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 It shows how brutal this attack really was. These people seem to be completely innocent and yet they
end up with abnormalities like these, due to other people’s conflicts. In addition to this, it shows how
advanced the U.S. is becoming in the type of weapons being created and used.

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