Briefly discusses the nineteenth century agrarian movements in Canada and the U.S., examining the similarities between Populism and the Canadian agricultural movement. Presents the American Populist Party Platform of 1892 and the Patrons of Industry Platform of 1891 to illustrate the agrarian ideas and political policies of each country. (GEA)

Discussion of topics relating to microform sets of primary material covers value, users, the lack of reviews, difficulty of examination, institutional focus, and selection. Selection factors suggested include: content; reason for the set; sponsoring institution; past use of the collection; publishers' reputation; guides; editors; advertisements;…

Provides guidelines for selecting primary source documents in high school history classes. Recommends that teachers: (1) clearly establish the purpose for reading, (2) provide background information on the document, (3) modify or shorten documents sparingly, and (4) include questions to focus student reading. (Author/JDH)

This discussion of the oral history and oral tradition of Africa covers the nature of oral archives, theoretical objections to validity of oral tradition and oral history as historical sources, value of oral archives for African countries, accessibility of oral archives, and strategies for improved access. Footnotes are provided. (EJS)

A national autobiography competition was conducted for the Finnish people in 1979. Altogether, 137 autobiographies were received. Characteristics of four generations of Finns and changes in historical perspective as revealed in the autobiographies are discussed. (RM)

A 1944 presidential election campaign flier used by Franklin Roosevelt when he ran for a fourth term as president is the basis for learning activities to be used in a secondary level U.S. history course. (RM)

A sample of views of prominent historians, philosophers, political scientists, astronomers, and other scholars gives an idea of the magnitude of the Greek influence on western civilization. Specifically discussed is the Greek impact on the United States and the American contribution to the rebirth of Greece. (RM)

This paper examines Henry Adams' writings on history by considering four topics which comprise the basis of his thinking: politics, religion, sex, and science. Adam's main goal was to make history a means of exploring the most significant dimensions of human being. (Author/RM)

On January 1, 1863, Daniel Freeman, a Union Army scout convinced a land office clerk in St. Louis (Missouri) to open the office shortly after midnight so that Freeman could file a land claim. In doing so, Freeman became one of the first to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Homestead Act, a law signed by President Abraham Lincoln…

This paper presents an imaginary conversation between an interviewer and the novelist, James Michener (1907-1997). Starting with Michener's early life experiences in Doylestown (Pennsylvania), the conversation includes his family's poverty, his wanderings across the United States, and his reading at the local public library. The dialogue includes…

Using primary source documents, this teaching unit focuses on the role monuments and memorials play in the culture. Teacher background materials include a unit overview and unit context, correlation to National Standards for United States History, unit objectives, a lesson plan list, and historical background on commemorative sculpture in the…

For social studies teachers, the challenge is to teach about war by going beyond causes and results and the major battles and highlights historians claim as important. Excerpts from literature and primary source materials and discussion questions are presented to help secondary students study the personal side of World War I. (RM)

Discusses the sociological and geographical factors influencing the failure of London's Fortune Theater during the Renaissance. The local history and geography of the surrounding neighborhoods are analyzed using the original ownership records from the period. (AM)

Contains a primary source document--a letter written in 1916 protesting U.S. Postal Service censorship of an anarchist publication--and suggests ways to use the document in secondary U.S. history classes. Samples of student surveys on mail censorship and a document analysis worksheet are included. (AM)

Seeks to discover in advertising slogans, titles of all kinds, signs, and commercials, allusions to and reflections of French culture. Cultural allusions are treated according to source, technique used, and way of achieving double meaning. The structural aspect is studied according to the diverse forms of play on words. (AMH)