Learning American History: Critical Skills for the Survey Course [Paperback]

Complete in one affordable volume thoughtfully designed to help students and their instructors get the most out of whichever survey text they use, Learning American History is an excellent workbook for students enrolled in one- or two-semester survey courses. By deftly combining an entry-level discussion of historiography and historical methods with engaging exercises, Professors Salevouris and Furay help the reader/user truly understand how history is made and what it means to think historically. Both students and their instructors will appreciate the book's practical advice on how to gather information, evaluate and interpret evidence from various sources (including television and film), and construct a first-rate paper.

PREFACE ix

CHAPTER 1 The Writing of American History 1

EXERCISES Part I, 1942-1650 7

Part II, 1865-1898 13

CHAPTER 2 The Nature of History 16

EXERCISES Part I, 1492-1650 23

Part II, 1865-1898 26

CHAPTER 3 Historical Thinking 29

EXERCISES PART I, 1650-1776 33

Part II, 1890-1920 37

CHAPTER 4 Context in History 41

EXERCISES Part I, 1650-1776 46

Part II, 1890-1920 50

CHAPTER 5 Gathering Information 55

EXERCISES Part I, 1176-1820 63

Part II, 1918-1941 69

CHAPTER 6 Evaluating Evidence 75

EXERCISES Part I, 1776-1820 81

Part II, 1918-1941 87

CHAPTER 7 Interpreting Evidence 92

EXERCISES Part I, 1820-1860 96

Part II, 1941-1963 101

CHAPTER 8 The Stages of Writing 105

EXERCISES Part I, 1820-1860 108

Part II, 1941-1963 117

CHAPTER 9 Meaningful Writing: The Paragraphl3Ú