The first class featured an introduction to the classic question, "What is history?"
Through some discussion, we determined that history is the study of the past and how it affects the future. So what are the implications of this statement? It suggests that those people and happenings that affect the future or have a significant impact on the nation are historically worthy of study while others are not worthy of such study.
Does that mean that, for example, the diary of an "ordinary" person is not worthy of historical study?
This depends on your perspective. Perhaps it is the diary of a young woman whose son has gone off to fight in the Civil War and the diary includes entries that discuss the events of that war which include his account of the third day Confederate assault on Gettysburg. There could be much to learn about the attitudes of everyday people towards the war. There could also be things that help us to better understand how the world was different for these people and the reality they lived in.
Therefore, evaluating what is historically significant is not always as easy as it sounds.
Knowing the purpose of your study is also critical. In this case, we are studying a nation and this has implications for the requisite parts that we divide our study into... Conventionally we divide a nation's history into two main components -- political history and social history. As well, we also have other categories -- military history and economic history, but these usually are dealt with under the framework of the political or social history. For example, a particular military action has its own story, but it is most often discussed in concert with what precipitated the military response in the first place. Or economic history might be intertwined with the social impact of a particular event, like the 1929 stock market crash.
For a more detailed analysis, read the following link --
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_history
Our study of the United States will be divided up into the aforementioned historical categories. My purpose will be to not only familiarize you with America's history, but also have you participate in the process of historical analysis and writing... More on that later.