The course provides a structured and cohesive foundation in the analytical, methodological, compositional, and historiographical skills involved in “doing history.” Students will encounter a diverse set of primary sources in order to evaluate how historians identify and interpret the clues, evidence, and omissions in the historical record. Students also will read secondary historical texts on selected subjects, with a focus on historiographical debates over competing interpretations of the past and consideration of the various approaches of political, social, cultural, and other subfields of history. In addition to the critical analysis of primary and secondary sources, HISTORY 202 focuses on the practice of historical writing and the development of research skills, preparing students for the requirements of more advanced history courses, especially the capstone Junior/Senior Colloquium.

HISTORY 202 also introduces concentrators to ways of “doing history” outside the classroom, from archival research to public history. As a group, the seminar will visit one or more of the research libraries affiliated with the University of Michigan for hands-on experience with primary sources and manuscript collections. Individual sections of HISTORY 202 might take field trips to museums and other public history sites in Southeast Michigan, in order to explore the presentation of history and the operation of historical memory in action. The course also will explore the ways in which the Internet and new media technologies have changed the methods of “doing history,” including the increasing availability of digital archives and visual sources.

Intended Audience:

New History Majors

Class Format:

3 hours per week in seminar format