HI 460 Cross-Cultural Encounters

Reading for Thursday, Sept 11 = Scott McLemee, “Is It History Yet?” (a review of the Potter & Romano book, Doing Recent History). Continue reading →

Reading Link: Arthur Schlesinger, Jr, “On Writing Contemporary History” The Atlantic, March 1967.

Discussion Questions
Who is this author? What’s the historical context of his essay?
How does Schlesinger answer his own question, “When do contemporary affairs become history”?
How does he explain the rise of “contemporary history” as a legitimate and respectable endeavor?
In Schlesinger’s time, how were historical sources and evidence changing?
What does Schlesinger think is the historian’s obligation to living people?
John Dewey (1859-1952) is quoted here as claiming that ALL history is “history of the present.” What did he mean?
If you could go back in time to 1967 and enlighten Schlesinger about what would, or would not, change for historians and history by 2014, what would you tell him?

For our next class meeting (Tues 9/9)- 3 Things
Read the Schlesinger essay, considering the discussion questions above (i.e. be prepared to talk about them in class)

Bring a textbook that goes past 1980 (any textbook, does not have to be college-level, and does not have to be U.S.)

*and*

Go onto the course Blackboard and take the Research Self-Assessment Survey (it should be posted by the weekend)
(optional: while you’re on the course Blackboard, enroll in one of the Teams)

Welcome to the History department capstone for Fall 2014. Continue reading →