What is History?
Which of the following is an example of an artifact that a historian might use to reconstruct a Civil War battle?
an unexploded shell found on the battlefield
How does the study of history help people develop empathy?
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
—Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, 1776
In these two sentences, Jefferson set forth a vision of new nation based on ?
ideals.
According to the Declaration of Independence, where does a government obtain its power from?
the consent of the governed
What idea is democracy based on?
the power to rule comes from the consent of the governed
What is one difference between primary and secondary sources?
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. What historical connection do you think Dr. King was attempting to underscore by giving his speech at the Lincoln Memorial?
Which of the following best defines an ideal?
a standard that people try to achieve
Prior to 1776, how had most societies been divided?
Most societies had been divided into unequal groups, castes, or social classes.
Why are ideals sometimes hard to live up to?
Ideals represent the very highest standards, and human beings are far too complex to achieve such perfection.
What is historical interpretation?
Read the quotation below from a noted historian. Which of the following reasons to study history is referred to in the quotation? “History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity.” —Robert Penn Warren, "The Legacy of the Civil War," 1961
Why was the ideal of equality problematic in 1776?
It excluded enslaved people and women.
The Declaration of Independence begins with: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” Who argued more than a century earlier that all people earned certain unalienable rights simply by being born?
John Locke
How has the United States made progress in expanding equality?
Many laws today aim to ensure equal treatment of all citizens, regardless of factors such as age, gender, or race.
Slavery was abolished in 1865, finally giving Black men the same voting rights as White men.
In 1920, a constitutional amendment guaranteed all American women the right to vote.
After historians collects evidence, their next step is to?
“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free . . . Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.” —Martin Luther King Jr., "I have a dream" speech, 1963
What point is Dr. King trying to make by beginning his speech with a reference to the past?
Dr. King is making the point that history matters. What happened long ago shapes how we live today
John Locke argued that all people have specific natural rights, which is the idea that?
everyone earns certain rights just by being born.
What did liberty mean to colonists?
political freedom, or the right to take part in public affairs
civil liberty, or protection from the power of government to interfere in one’s life
moral and religious freedom
According to Jefferson, what are “unalienable rights” ?
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; rights that belong to humans simply because they are humans.
A secondary source is?
Dr. King ends his speech by saying that “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.” What point about history is he making here?
Dr. King is saying that we are not prisoners of the past. If we can dream of a better tomorrow, it lies in our power to shape the history to come.
Which of these ideals refers to the chance for individuals to pursue their hopes and dreams for a better life?
opportunity
What was colonist John Smith referring to when he proclaimed that “every man may be master and owner of his owne labour and land”?
the opportunity that was present in America
Jefferson got the idea that all men “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” from philosopher John Locke. What did John Locke argue the main purpose of government was?
John Locke argued that the main purpose of government was to preserve these rights.