The Tools of History Chapter 1 – Section 3 The American Nation Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

The Tools of History Chapter 1, Section 3 How do historians evaluate and interpret historical evidence? How do archaeologists add to our knowledge of history? What can we learn about history by understanding chronology and eras?

Historians Evaluate and Interpret Historical Evidence Chapter 1, Section 3 Evaluating Evidence Authenticity—whether the source is what it seems to be Reliability—whether the source is accurate Bias—leaning toward or against a certain person, group, or idea Interpreting Evidence Determine the cause of a development or event – History repeats itself Historians have their own biases – interpretations change over time Collecting Evidence Primary sources—firsthand information—official documents, public speeches, eyewitness accounts, for example Secondary sources—accounts by people who did not witness an event; based on primary sources—textbook, encyclopedia, biographies, for example

Archaeologists Add to Our Knowledge of History Chapter 1, Section 3 Archaeologists Add to Our Knowledge of History Archaeology is the study of evidence left by early people Archaeologists Study Artifacts Archaeologists form theories about the cultures of ancient peoples Archaeology—study of evidence left by early people in order to find out about their way of life. Artifact—objects made by humans, such as tools and weapons. Culture—a people’s way of life—home, economy, government, for example. What do types of techniques do Archaeologists use to analyze artifacts???

Why Study History? Learn how the past is linked to the present Learn how to solve problems today by studying how they were solved in the past Tells a story of ordinary people who shaped our country Provides you with useful skills

Understanding Chronology Chapter 1, Section 3 Chronology Chronology—sequence of events over time Answers the question of when Absolute chronology—exact time, in centuries, years, days, and so forth Relative chronology—time of an event in relation to the time of another event – helps understand connections between events

Section 3 Assessment Chapter 1, Section 3 Which of these items is not usually considered a primary source? a) official documents b) eyewitness accounts c) encyclopedias d) diaries The sequence of events over time is called ________. a) archaeology b) chronology c) culture d) artifacts Want to connect to the American Nation link for this section? Click here.

Section 3 Assessment Chapter 1, Section 3 Which of these items is not usually considered a primary source? a) official documents b) eyewitness accounts c) encyclopedias d) diaries The sequence of events over time is called ________. a) archaeology b) chronology c) culture d) artifacts Want to connect to the American Nation link for this section? Click here.