Reflection #2

Document Interpretation 5

This Assignment was choice from different documents that are based on the social issues

of Moral Reform Movements that took place during the mid 19th century. The article that caught

my attention the most was The Declaration of Sentiments written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

This document showed me the political professionalism that women held in order to advocate for

their fair gender equality. I was not well informed about the women's rights movement, before

this document, and only took it as an event that began like all other equality movements, but no,

this movement had far more other significant since it also clashed with the slavery movement.

While learning more about this historical movement for women's rights, I also had the

oppurtunity to learn by my fellow online peers from their online responses. I think this was one

of the more helpful parts of the assignment by viewing their interpretations from different and

similar articles that revolve around similar social issues. For instance, I would not have viewed

the counter against the Declaration of Sentiments as a economic and political threat to the

male-dominant rule rather than a disruption of social roles. Nor could I have noticed that the

comparison of the Declaration of Sentiments to the Declaration of Independence also being a

contributing factor to anger focused by men until I read it from a fellow classmate.

These different viewpoints made me think harder about my own responses, which I found

quite helpful to think of different opinions other than my own. If given the chance, I would

reconsider the way I analyze the Document of Sentiments to give a more detailed interpretation.

The responses I read from my fellow peers made me feel like I looked it over with the basic

interpretations.
 If I searched through different sources that were available to me perhaps my responses

would have not seemed so rudimentary. But I believe that since history is not a topic I am so

familiar with, it is more difficult for myself to interpret the writings of social topics. Overall,

these assignments are great ways to strengthen critical thinking methods.

In the end, interpreting historical documents, like this one, is great preparation for all

future courses. Although it is not related to any field of study I am currently pursuing, it could

help me form the choice of words I need in order to interpret scientific topics to people of the

public. This assignment helped me form a better mindset when considering how to analyze

different documents that I may come across.