Why History?
Primary Sources
Quotable
American Democracy
Shared Past
Doing History
100

History is full of these—stories about real people just like us.

What are true stories?

100

These are firsthand accounts of events used by historians.

What are primary sources?

100

He’s often credited with “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite…,” though there’s no direct proof he said it.

Who is Thomas Jefferson?

100

The United States is described as this kind of republic.

What is a democratic constitutional republic?

100

As Americans, one primary thing we share is this.

What is our history?

100

Historians piece together evidence and informative these.

What are clues?

200

Studying history is compared to piecing together this big picture.

What is a jigsaw puzzle?

200

Name the published type listed alongside letters and diary entries.

What are newspaper articles?

200

Even without that exact wording, Jefferson’s proven ones of these echo the idea.

What are writings?

200

The power to make changes rests with these people who choose representatives.

Who are voters (citizens)?

200

Our common history reveals a struggle to live up to the ideals in these documents.

What are the founding documents?

200

People in history shared these two inner drivers, along with concerns.

What are emotions and motivations?

300

No one alive today can tell us exactly what happened when this group first set foot here.

Who were the Pilgrims?

300

These are physical remnants of objects from long ago.

What are artifacts?

300

This Roman statesman stressed sharing the truth so we can learn from mistakes.

Who is Cicero?

300

In countries ruled by monarchs or dictators, the people have this amount of power.

What is little to none?

300

This economic condition is listed alongside enslavement, displacement, and war.

What is poverty?

300

Understanding the story of how our country came to be helps us understand why these “are the way they are.”

What are things today (the present)?

400

The study of history contains a degree of this—“the unknown.”

What is mystery?

400

Historians use primary sources as these to reconstruct the past.

What are clues (items of evidence)?

400

This Spanish philosopher warned that those who don’t know history are “doomed to repeat it.”

Who is George Santayana?

400

The U.S. is one of the oldest and most successful of these systems.

What are democracies?

400

Despite injustices, there have also been these “extraordinary” things.

What are achievements?

400

Generations of these have asked, “What’s the point of history?”

Who are students?

500

Knowing our history is knowing the story of how this country came to be.

What is the United States?

500

Primary sources help us get awfully ______ to what really happened.

What is close?

500

Name both thinkers cited to support the value of studying history.

Who are Cicero and George Santayana?

500

Continued success depends on citizens who are these three things.

What are educated, informed, and interested?

500

Learning about our nation’s past helps explain why many have done this to become American.

What is risk their lives?

500

Your study of American history is a step toward becoming part of this citizenry the founders envisioned.

What is the educated and informed citizenry?