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SOAPS Document Analysis
Analyzing Historical Documents and Photographs
Since you are learning in this course how to think as a historian, you will find that in your studies you will need to look at and analyze documents and photographs very carefully to determine the information about the specific historical period they are conveying to you. Take a look at this picture:
Raising the flag on Iwo Jima
Read the description of the photograph, shared with you from National Archives.
"On Februar 23, 1945, during the battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines raised a flag atop Mount Suribachi. It was taken down, and a second flag was raised. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal captured this second flag-raising. Now part of U.S. Navy Records, it is one of the most famous war photographs in U.S. history."
Have you ever seen the picture before? For people of generations before you, it has much meaning because they lived during the preiod and can remember the event. For someone who has not witnessed a period in history, understanding its significance may be a bit more challenging. How do you figure it out?
You ask yourself these questions:
- Why would it be important to these soldiers to raise the American flag at this particular location?
- What message was the photographer trying to share by taking this photo?
SOAPS
In order to begin the analysis, use the technique we call SOAPS. Each letter of the word SOAPS represents something we should think about as we study a document or a photographer. When each letter of a word stand for a particular word, it is an acronym. I'm sure you have heard people say, "Do that ASAP As soon as possible ," spelling out the four letters rather than taking the time to say what it means.
- S - Subject
- O - Occasion
- A - Audience
- P - Purpose
- S - Speaker
| Acronym | Analysis |
|---|---|
| S | Site of hard-fought World War II battle in the Pacific against the Japanese forces at war with the allied forces (United States' troops are pictured here). The image suggests American victory. It seems to be a very important location. |
| O | February 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima |
| A | Released to the national public |
| P | Shows the victory of US forces at Iwo Jima. The photographer captures the soldiers' determination |
| S | Joe Rosenthal, Associated Press photographer |
Continue to study the picture.
As we continue to study the picture, we find that it is a very iconic famous picture that depicts strength, patriotism, and a style of warfare that is not familiar to us now. Perhaps research about the battle will give us the informationwe need to fully understand the picture. Visiting the National Archives would be a good place to start since we know the picture was taken from that site.
Iwo Jima Casualties
In this battle, the marines lost 6,891 men killed and 18,070 wounded. Out of the 22,000 Japanese soliders on the island, only 212 were taken prisoners. What the battle did show the americans was how far the japanese would go to defend their country a decision that ws to influence the use of the atomic bombs in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Read Hiroshima and The bombing of Nagasaki from History Learning Site to learn more about the bombing of these two cities.