Early American History Homeschool Course Sample
Week 1
DAY 1: WHY STUDY HISTORY?
Students often find studying history boring. After all, what is the point of remembering a bunch of dates and dead people? Yet, without the knowledge of our past, how can we reflect on our present and future? It is the memory of our past that makes us who we are individually and as a nation. History is a record of our past, and it shows what mankind has done since creation. Studying history is important because it connects us to our past, present, and future.
Studying eighteenth century American history helps us to understand our roots as a nation and allows us to debunk myths that often get attached to the actual events and people from the past. Why was the United States founded? What did the Founders envision when creating a new nation? Are we, as a society, in line with their ideas today? Did George Washington chop down the cherry tree? All of these questions and more require a knowledge of our nation’s history. Before we can consider the issues of our day, we must first understand the founding principles of our nation.
DAY 2: PRIMARY SOURCES
When we study history, we look to primary sources to determine what happened in a given period of time. So, what is a primary source? Primary sources are items that existed during the period of study. For example, we are studying the Declaration of Independence in this course, therefore, the actual Declaration of Independence would be considered a primary source. Other documents such as diaries, journals, newspapers, pamphlets, autobiographies, and official records from the period would all be considered primary sources.
Aside from documents, physical objects are also considered primary sources. Items such as clothing, utensils, jewelry, weaponry, medicine, toiletries, art, poetry, buildings, pottery, and furniture all qualify as primary sources. Examples of such primary sources include an eighteenth century gown worn by Abigail Adams or a necklace belonging to Martha Washington. Such objects allow us to understand how people lived in a particular period in history.
DAY 3: SECONDARY SOURCES
Studying history also involves using secondary sources. Historians use secondary sources to review what has already been said about a given subject. It helps them to find any gaps in a previous study and research the topic further, thereby, creating yet another secondary source. Secondary sources are materials created after the event. They can provide researchers with the first point of contact to gather more information, including primary sources, on a particular historical subject.
Secondary sources include: books, articles in periodicals, journals, encyclopedias, and newspapers. They could also include objects created about the event or person such as art, plays, music, documentary, and film. It is important to remember, since all these sources are secondary, they may still have gaps and it is crucial to study the primary source along with the secondary source to get as close to the truth of the matter as possible.
DAY 4: MAP SKILLS
In the Map below, identify the 13 colonies in America:
DAY 5: REVIEW QUESTIONS
Answer the following review questions from this week’s study:
- What is history?
- Why is it important to study history?
- Why do historians use primary sources?
- Why do historians use secondary sources?
- Give 2 examples of primary sources and 2 examples of secondary sources.
- List the 13 American colonies.
VOCABULARY
Define the following terms:
Myth
Debunk
Principle
ANSWER KEY
Week 1 Day 5 Review Questions
- History is a record of our past, and it shows what mankind has done since creation.
- Studying history is important because it connects us to our past, present, and future.
- They look to primary sources to determine what happened in a given period of time.
- Historians use secondary sources to review what has already been said about a given subject.
- Answer varies.
- 13 Colonies:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
