Quick Tips: Reading Historical Text

No one, and I mean no one, likes reading those letters from the 1600s or 1700s, with all their old fashioned English and hard to understand phrases (what the hell is "privy"?) However, if you can make a quick connection to old words and work from there, you could be able to read and understand a historical text, no matter what the year or context.

First, find your historical context (you can learn more about that in the post "Learning Historical Context") and follow the Who, Where, and What format. Once you've determined those, read a sentence of the document. Let's say it goes like this:

"They invade our lands as though they be sole proprietor, and we have rested upon no greater solution than to restore the order of the township. These savages made no claim to the wooded hills where they now call territory of the Crown; we, meanwhile, have grown with it as brothers. I scoff at the notion of those bloodybacks keeping a tradesman from exploring outside his province: an Army far from home is no Army indeed."

While that was completely made up, the idea of the figure can be understood: he/she is upset about something involving "bloodybacks", "savages, and "the Crown". Using historical context, let's say one determined this account was from 1764, and originated in the English colony of Virginia. Now the reading makes even more sense, as it could be someone responding to the British decree of no colonists in the Ohio Valley after the French and Indian War. "Bloodybacks" was a derogatory term for a British soldier, and the Crown was King George III. Now, the passage can make sense, and a student can "translate it in their head to this:

"They come to America as if they are the only ones who own it, and we have no choice but to protect our boundaries. These monsters didn't say they owned the territory that they now call home; we, however, grew with it all of our lives. I laugh at the idea of the British soldiers stopping a yeoman (traveling trader) from going out into the wilderness; an army away from home is no good army."

This passage makes much more sense, doesn't it? Well, you can do this with any passage! By connecting similar words (like "township" to "boundaries") together to make it more modern, and by having a good understanding of historical context, you'll be dissecting those readings for meaning in no time! If you still need help, just try thinking about the tone of the piece: does it seem happy, angry, sad, etc? If you can determine a mood, there's a good chance you can also determine what the reading is trying to do. So, go out there and finish reading that love letter from William Shakespeare! I'm sure you'll get it!

P.S. Can someone please tell me what "privy" means?

-Pharaoh Noh-Tyep