Maintains that students must learn to seek the significance of events in history, to ask the question "Why?" in order to draw meaningful conclusions that may be transferred to their own lives. (JDH)

Discusses Patrick Henry's and James Madison's opinions on how the U.S. Constitution should be constructed. Describes how Henry introduced a set of substantive objections which were shared by Antifederalists throughout the country and persuaded many Revolutionaries that the Constitution was essentially at odds with the principles of 1776. (BSR)

Maintains that, although historiography and historical interpretation of the American Revolution have led to new questions and new answers, historians have become more sensitive to the complexity of that event and era. Presents an extended annotated bibliography of research and writing about the American Revolution. (CFR)

Offers criteria for an ideal history course from a student's point of view. Teacher preparation, use of primary source materials, simulations, and other involving methods are recommended. While validating these recommendations, a teacher responds that inadequate content preparation, heavy teaching loads, and increasing bureaucracy may mitigate…

Maintains that tremendous changes in the historiography and treatment of Native American history have occurred since the late 1960s. Provides a historiographic essay on contemporary historians and their interpretations of Native American history and culture. (CFR)

Discusses the value of journals for understanding a historical period. Suggests that social studies students be encouraged to keep journals to understand better the difference between something written at the time and a later description of the same event. Lists examples of journals from historical periods that may interest students in journal…

Examines the nature of 19th century U.S. nationalism. Contends that a by-product of it was the emergence of a political atmosphere which was not conducive to critical questioning of government policies which violated Indian rights, propelled the country into an unjust war with Mexico, and allowed the mistreatment of millions of blacks. (BSR)

Reviews recent works on the early roots of United States history. Divides studies into those which used traditional historical methods and those which made use of quantitative techniques. Maintains that a reconciliation of the different conclusions reached by these two approaches is needed. (JDH)

Discusses whether history was taught in U.S. schools when they began around 1820. Reports that what was labelled history dealt with the founding of the republic, the Constitution, and government. Includes information on U.S. historians. Suggests that a society does not teach its history until it reaches a certain level of stability or maturity.…

This special theme issue of the OAH Magazine of History contains articles that present a variety of perspectives on the Columbian Quincentenary--the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyages of discovery. The articles include: "Exploring the Columbian Quincentenary through Historiography" (John Hebert); "Science, Religion,…

Discusses the enrichment of understanding about American Indians due to the development of new materials and approaches to the history of Indians in American society. Cites specific examples of books that characterize different stages in the development of literature on North American Indians. (AEM)

Recommends Paul L. Murphy's 25-year-old article "Time to Reclaim: The Current Challenge of American Constitutional History" as a starting place for teachers interested in teaching about the history of the U.S. Constitution. Includes a three-page annotated bibliography of books on constitutional history. (BSR)

In response to a high school teacher's request for the "basic twenty concepts which college professors see as really basic preparation for college," this article advocates that students bring a shared body of facts about the past in addition to the ability to think about it; sensing the dual nature and interconnectedness of historical events. (JDH)

Provides a historiography of the articles and books that focuses upon studying history through film. Reviews topics such as: censorship, the film industry's use and interpretations of history in films, and the lack of material on documentaries in the scholarship. (CMK)

Discusses the role of sports in U.S. history. Describes primary sources and scholarly articles available for use in integrating sports history into history courses. Addresses questions about sport and society in the United States from the Puritans through the present day. Suggests that sports have been used to limit upward mobility and maintain…