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Survey of American History 2010
History is the study of the past in an attempt to
understand the political and social contexts in which we continue to operate.
Historians use a variety of methodologies to construct a narrative--or story--of
the past. They'll use documents written during the time period they're studying;
they'll examine photographs (if available) and other forms of expression;
they'll work with various interpretations of historical events to come up with
new explanations. History is about names, dates, and events. But it is also
about the people who record those details and interpret it as it is about the
events themselves. Historians attempt to sort through the varying perspectives
of the people who wrote about themselves and events in order to arrive at "big
picture" conclusions. Can we, as students of history, come to an understanding
or even a good guess as to what someone's viewpoint was when he or she recorded
an event? How was that viewpoint affected by that person's race, ethnicity,
gender, or station in life? And what about the viewpoints of people who write
about an event years after the fact? Historians and students of history work to
make sense of all these different perspectives through a variety of primary and
secondary sources. Knowing history gives us insight into our present and helps
us map a course through our futures, both collective and individual.
This class details Native cultures prior to European
colonization, the colonial period, American
independence from England, development of the Constitution, expansion of
the country's physical boundaries, growing sectionalism, Civil War, and
Reconstruction. Through class discussion, outside reading, and individual projects that may involve visiting various
historical sites in Middle Tennessee, students will be exposed to how historians
"do" history as well as to the events and people that have shaped the United
States as we know it.
thanks to
http://etc.usf.edu/clipart for the image!
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