What is History?

Science or Art? Analysis, evaluation, and organization of historical evidence = Science Reconstruction AND INTERPRETATION of the past, especially in a narrative form = Art It’s a giant story!! Wars, betrayal, love, pirates, murder, princes and princesses, kings and castles, gangs, the birth of new countries and new religions, life and death, good vs. evil, outer space, the list goes on!

A Student Who is Successful in the History Classroom… Will learn that history is COMPLEX! Social issues, history of political parties, etc. Will be aware of CONFLICTING INTERPRETATIONS of the of the facts Was the Civil War about slavery or states rights? Will understand that historians and other people use historical information FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES How will they use this info? For educational, research, or political purposes? Will they manipulate it for such purposes?

“God cannot alter the past but historians can,” –Samuel Butler Historians are constantly REVISING and REWRITING history Generational differences, changes in society, changing perspectives of historians, new sources and information New questions being asked!

New Questions Lead to significant revision of our understanding of the past Charles A. Beard in An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (1913) concluded that the writing of the Constitution was motived by economic self- interests of the framers Renewed debate over the U.S. government’s decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 Was this a diplomatic measure calculated to intimidate the Soviet Union in the post-second World War era or was it strictly a military measure designed to force Japan into surrender

Understanding History Learning about and understanding any era of history depends upon the realization of differing perspectives, whether between you and the writer/lecturer, different historians, an so on In short, be aware that many historians differ in their interpretation of the same events!

Historiography The study of the works of historians and their changing methodologies and interpretations is called historiography History does not offer the certitude of mathematics or physical sciences As a result, sometimes our own assumptions and beliefs will be challenged when studying history Think of history as one big book and the units we cover in this class as the chapters!

The Six Components of a Historical Essay Instead of writing and rewriting entire essays, we will break down the skills needed to write an effective history essay

1. Analyze the Question Take time to consider what the question is REALLY asking Stop and ask yourself, “What are the key words or phrases?” “evaluate”, “assess”, “analyze”, “apply”, “compare/contrast”, “account”

1. Analyze the Question ALWAYS identify, describe, or explain Satisfactory answers ALWAYS do more than simply report information If you think you can write an essay without making some judgment that results in a thesis statement, you have not understood the question Always remember to answer all parts of the question

2. Organize the Information Make a brief outline of the issues/questions and what you know about them List facts pertaining to the question to help you organize your thoughts Two benefits to this: you learn if you have enough information to answer a question/write the essay you can judge whether you have enough support for your thesis

3. Develop a Thesis Thesis statements are MORE than a restatement or description of the question Requires some judgment and interpretation of the evidence Thesis statements MUST BE FOCUSED ON THE ESSAY QUESTION and SPECIFICALLY STATE WHAT YOU WILL ARGUE TO THE READER Doesn’t have to necessarily be the “right answer” In the end, you will be assessed on your ability to INTERPRET the historical evidence you have and SUPPORT your thesis Thesis statements are neither facts nor opinions- they are REASONED JUDGMENTS based on your knowledge/use of evidence You may or may not necessarily agree with or want to believe your own thesis- they should be OBJECTIVE

3. Developing a Thesis Example essay prompt: Analyze the historical validity of Oliver Stone’s film ‘JFK.’ This would be a declarative statement, but not yet a thesis: Oliver Stone’s film ‘JFK’ inaccurately portrays the events of JFK’s presidency. An example of a good thesis statement: The movie ‘JFK’ inaccurately portrays the presidency of JFK because it ignores his childhood, his relationship with his father, and the findings of the Warren Commission.

3. Develop a Thesis Does the thesis take a position on the prompt? Remember to stay focused on what the essay prompt is asking you! Don’t restate the prompt, because then you have no thesis, and thus no argument to base your essay off of Does the thesis offer an interpretation and present controlling/organizing ideas for the essay? Be specific on what points you will make in your essay in order to prove your thesis statement Remember the thesis statement is a roadmap for your reader telling them what you will be SPECIFICALLY arguing in support of your thesis As part of the intro paragraph, the thesis statement should always help the reader ask “WHY is this historically important?”

4. Write the Introductory Paragraph 3 elements: Background to the question or your thesis The thesis statement An introduction to the main ideas or points of the essay to be developed in the body/supporting paragraphs Sometimes called a “blueprint” When reading your essay, one should not only know your thesis but have a clear idea of the main points to be developed in support of that thesis

4. Write the Introductory Paragraph A well-organized essay relates back to an effective introductory paragraph An effective introduction includes the thesis, how you will develop that view, and identify the main points you will be making in the body

5. Write the Supporting Paragraphs and Conclusion The number and length of supporting paragraphs will vary depending on the thesis or the essay question itself You won’t be writing multiple full essays for your unit tests or final exams The amount of historical evidence is KEY DON’T HOLD BACK ON THE FACTS A CONCISE ESSAY IN WHICH EVERY WORD HAS A PURPOSE IS BETTER THAN AN ESSAY BLOATED WITH FILLERS AND FLOWERY LANGUAGE IN AN ATTEMPT TO IMPRESS THE READER

5. Write the Supporting Paragraphs and Conclusion Tips to keep in mind: Write in the third person (never use I or we) Stay consistent with your tenses (most historical essays should be written in PAST tense) Define or explain key terms (liberty, conservative, freedom, sectionalism, etc.) Distinguish between primary and secondary sources, between the significant and the less important Always anticipate counterarguments (this should help you think hard about your resources of information) Your arguments should communicate organization and logical development of ideas—your ideas should transition seamlessly Remain OBJECTIVE! (crucial to your ability to interpret information from different sources)

5. Conclusion Conclusion should focus on the thesis Restate the thesis in a fresh and interesting manner or explain its significance in light of the evidence you provided in your essay Do not summarize the entire essay or try to include new information/data

6. Evaluate Your Essay 1. Intro Paragraph 2. Thesis Does the intro paragraph prepare the reader for what to expect in the essay? How can it be improved upon? 2. Thesis Does the thesis address the question? How well does it deal with ALL parts of the question? How could it be improved?

Evaluate Your Essay 3. Analysis Is the body of the essay relevant to the prompt and answer the question in full? Do the ideas I provide in the body of the essay go in a logical order? Do they make sense? How could the analysis be improved? Does it address complex issues or opposing viewpoints?

Evaluate Your Essay 4. Evidence 5. Errors Is the thesis supported with SUBSTANTIAL, RELEVANT information? Is there any significant additional information that could be used for support? Did I consider any counterarguments with opposing evidence? 5. Errors What minor or major errors in fact or analysis were found in the essay? A GOOD TIP IS TO READ IT BACK TO YOURSELF (ALOUD IF POSSIBLE) TO CATCH ANY MISTAKES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Evaluate Your Essay 6. Presentation How well organized was the essay? Did paragraph composition, sentence structure, word choice, or spelling detract from the essay? DID I ANSWER THE QUESTION? DID I FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS?