1. What did you think about the skit process yesterday? Did you get anything out of it? Be honest. How could it be improved so that you really learn from something like that?

3. What is history?  Is it the study of the past, or the study of records of the past?  How does the context within which historians live affect historical knowledge?  How much might the position of historians within their own time and culture harm the value of their interpretation?  How much might the value increase in making the interpretation relevant to an audience living within the author’s time and culture?

4. What is historiography?  Location  Politics  Time  Circumstances  New Methodologies  Personal Bias  Experience  Any others? “Each generation of historians believes it is coming closer to the “truth” in history, even though time is moving further away from the events about which are written.” How correct is this view? What things influence the way historians interpret history?

5. Historiography is the study of changing historical interpretations, shifting emphasis, and different methodologies… on a particular subject. Historiography is a cure for insomnia

6. So what?  History is “a set of lies agreed upon by historians.” -Bonaparte  We’re all historiographers—struggle for control of official memory.  Are the colonists “rebels”, “patriots”, “freedom fighters,” or “self-interested elites?”  “Just the facts, m’am.”—even straight narrative is an interpretation. Focusing on the origins of the American Revolution excludes much important stuff from consideration such as…

7. Important Considerations  The debate over the Constitution  The slavery issue  Who should rule?  Who should choose the rulers?  Who really fought the war, and what does this tell you about the nature of the conflict?  Long-term gains of citizens, if any

8. Basic Interpretations of the American Revolution  Whig School  Imperial School  Progressive School  Consensus School  Neo-Whig School  Neo-Progressive School  Recent Trends and Notable Books

9. Whig School  The American Revolution was “a movement for liberty in opposition to British tyranny.”  The colonists were simply trying to preserve their idea of self-government. (Late 1700s to Early 1800s)

10. Imperial School  Expanding international involvement and awareness – age of imperialsim  Britain never intended to impose “tyranny”—Revolution was a function of trans-Atlantic misunderstandings, bureaucratic bungling, and Parliamentary mismanagement.  Parliament was too near-sighted and locally focused to really understand what they were doing to the colonists. (Late 1800s)

11. The Progressive School (Early 1900s) Named for the Progressive Era Reaction to industrialization – upper class used the lower classes for their own benefit. “Corrected” the prior overemphasis on political and military history Class and Sectional Conflict Hoped for the social and political betterment of society

12. rich vs. poor big business interests vs. people haves vs. have-nots privileged vs. less privileged aristocracy vs. democracy liberalism vs. conservatism agrarianism vs. capitalism. The Progressive School Common Themes

13. Progressive School  Self-interests compelled Revolution: “Conflicts between merchants and farmers, easterners and westerners, city- dwellers and country folk, aristocrats and democrats, creditors and debtors”  “not so much home rule as who should rule at home.”  What does this last quote really mean?

14. The Consensus School (Mid 1900s) After World War II (McCarthy Era – almost irrational fear of communism) Stressed shared ideas of Americans Somewhat a throwback to Whig School, but reflected global superpower status Americans more united than anywhere else Celebrates American Democratic Capitalism Declaration of Independence & Constitution

15. The Consensus School Common Themes Political Struggle for rights Cultural Commonality among ALL Americans Competition between businessmen and entrepreneurs American Uniqueness (implied superiority)

16. Consensus School  Differences among white male colonists were minor—founders all supported a “liberal, Lockean ideal of a republic grounded on widespread property ownership and a state committed to fostering individual rights and opportunities.”  Is this the view that I presented in the lecture?  How accurate do you think this view is?

17. Neo-Whig School  Ideology was not pretextual; it was the real prism through which colonists interpreted the New Imperial Policy. (Pretextual means something that has been used to hide real motivations.)  Focus on REAL ideological concerns of all colonists; ideology NOT used as propaganda or manipulation. Mid 1900s

18. Neo-Progressive School (Mid-Late 1900s) Late 50s, issues of racism, imperialism and poverty surface = polarization (strong division of viewpoints) Civil Rights Movement (Including the Women’s and Gay & Lesbian Movements) Vietnam These conflicts stimulated reexamination of past American conflicts to be cast in a new light focus on the masses and their experiences “History from the bottom up” – ‘subaltern’ studies Seeks to answer the question as to how we (American society) became so violent, racist, and repressive?

19. Common Themes Social Conflict (not just class) America is not homogeneous Pluralism – coexistence of many different peoples, ethic groups, and races Recognition of significance of minorities to US prosperity, history, etc. Racism, oppression, etc. Neo-Progressive School

20.  Despite a republican consensus, (the agreement by all people of the colonies that “republicanism” was the way to go) struggles between ‘the masses’ and elite forces drove the events of the era.

21. Let’s Revisit that Quote and Question from Earlier “Each generation of historians believes it is coming closer to the “truth” in history, even though time is moving further away from the events about which are written.” How correct is this view?