1. History is the lie commonly agreed upon.
Voltaire,
Enlightenment Thinker

2. History is the study of the human past
History is the study of the human past. Based on careful analysis of surviving texts (primary and secondary documents) and artifacts (objects made by humans), the historian attempts to reconstruct past events and processes which have created the current world.
What is U.S History?
A chronological story of events in American History.
Analysis of when, why, and
how events shaped and
influenced America’s past,
present and future.

3. Historians, through careful analysis, attempt to reconstruct the past.
But every historian views the world through a cultural lens.

4. Geography
Geography is the study of the earth and its geographic features.
Geography is also the study the distribution of human life on the earth and the effects of human activity.
Elements of Geography
Physical geography – think “deserts or mountains; the surface of the earth”
Human geography – think “how people adapt to a particular environment”

5. Therefore, an element of historical writing is interpretative.
Questions to consider:
Whose perspective is voiced?
Whose perspective is ignored?
What sources are chosen?
What elements are emphasized (political, social, economic)?

6. Consider the historical record on Columbus

7. Is the encounter told from an indigenous perspective or
Did Columbus discover the Americas or did he accidentally land in the Americas?
from a
European
perspective?

8. “The present informs the past
“The present informs the past. It defines the historical questions we ask.”
Questions:
Explain the quotation.

9. The Underlying Principles of U.S. History
History is interconnected
Current events have historical roots
To understand the present, the past must be examined

10. Work with a partner and think of a historical event or topic previously studied that impact the world today and for each, complete the information that follows:

11. The first historical event/topic: __Holocaust________
Description of the event/topic:
WWII
Killing of Jews
Concentration camps
Impact on the world today:
Creation of State of Israel
Geneva Convention on Genocide
Genocide in Rwanda

12. The second historical event/topic: _____________________________
Description of the event/topic: _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
Impact on the world today: _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

13. Reflections:
What is “point of view” and why is it important to consider point of view when analyzing historical documents?
Why is it important to identify the historian’s point of view?
Why are World Historians interested in connections?

14. Was Voltaire correct? Explain your answer.
Why is the study of history important?
What is your Hi(S)tory?

15. “Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters.” ~African Proverb

16. “History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.”
~ CICERO, Pro Publio Sestio

17. People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them. James A
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them. James A. Baldwin
E. Napp

18. What story is being told. Whose story is being told. Identify the bias
What story is being told? Whose story is being told? Identify the bias? Compare and Contrast the Pictures

19. Let the journey begin!