History 2710    MacKay
Unit One Introductions

We will begin our work together by considering our texts and how most of us experience history.

A. The texts.

1. Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States
2. Theresa M. Collins and Lisa Gitelman, Thomas Edison and Modern America
3. Michael C. C. Adams, The Best War Ever
4. Kenneth Davis

B. Our Experiences with History

The American historian Herbert Guttman described 'historical consciousness' as the process by which certain events and their stories do or don't enter into the collective memory as public history and family stories. Historical consciousness, or this collective memory, is inextricably linked with political and social action in any society. Many students develop a sense of the past in a personal, informal, unstructured and constructivist fashion, as well as in the formalized setting of a school. Students frequently encounter the past outside school - in the family, in the community and in various cultural interactions, such as film, media and visits to museums. Students enter a class with a "private universe" in their heads -- and often that "universe" gets in the way of learning.

Historians Roy Rosenzweig and David Thelen found that Americans forge links with the past in a myriad of ways. Some people make photo albums, collect antiques, or visit historic battlefields. Others keep diaries, plan annual family gatherings, and spend time researching the family tree. Some even write letters to deceased loved ones. These links to the past help many people to grapple with the profound question of how to live. One black man from Memphis, who had taken his children to visit a civil rights organization started by his grandfather, tells of the way the civil rights movement taught him a basic moral lesson in racial equality. And a young woman from Ohio speaks of how the birth of her first child caused her to reflect on the ways that her parents' example would help her become a good mother.

Reading:

• Explore information about our authors.
• Explore the web page created to support the 1999 book The Presence of the Past.

Discussion Topics:

• What in Zinn's background suggests the issues in American history he might be most concerned about? Do any of our other authors intrigue you?
• Comment on the conclusion reached by Rosenzweig and Thelen that Americans do care about history. What are you own reasons for studying the past?

 Complete the  survey based on their work.

Analysis #1: Consider getting started on finding a scholarly article on a topic in American history 1877-1967. Use The History Cooperative.  The first analysis paper is due at 6th week.