US History Lesson 1 Quiz

Which of the following is an example of an artifact that a historian might use to reconstruct a Civil War battle?

• a modern song written about the battle

• an interview with the grandson of one of the soldiers

• a modern map of the battlefield site D. an unexploded shell found on the battlefield

• an unexploded shell found on the battlefield

What is one difference between primary and secondary sources?

• Secondary sources usually reflect signs of bias; primary sources do not.

• Secondary sources are usually written documents; primary sources are not.

• Primary sources are usually eyewitness accounts; secondary sources are not.

• Primary sources usually include historical interpretation; secondary sources do not.

Read the quotation below from a noted historian. Which of the following reasons to study history is referred to in the quotation?

“History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity.”

- Robert Penn Warren, "The Legacy of the Civil War", 1961

• History is an interesting story.

• B. History helps us become better thinkers.

• C. History makes us better informed about public issues.

• History helps us develop empathy for people everywhere.

After historians collects evidence, their next step is to

• construct a chronicle, or a simple listing, of what happened year by year.

• ask a question they hope to answer based on the evidence they collected.

• carefully examine each source of evidence for the creator’s point of view, perspective, or outlook on events.

• accept all of their primary sources of evidence as fact. accept all of their primary sources of evidence as fact.

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. What historical connection do you think Dr. King was attempting to underscore by giving his speech at the Lincoln Memorial?

• the connection between the oppression of Jews in Eastern Europe and the civil rights movement

• the connection between the civil rights movement and President Abraham Lincoln’s efforts to end slavery

• the connection between Mahatma Gandhi’s Indian independence movement and the civil rights movement

• the connection between the civil rights movement and César Chávez’s movement to unionize migrant farm workers

When studying a historical event, what is the first step in a historian’s process?

• coming up with question he or she hopes to answer or the problem he or she wishes to solve

• collecting evidence pertaining to the historical subject he or she is studying

• a reconstruction and interpretation of the past

• a hypothesis that can either be proved or disproved

How does the study of history help people develop empathy?

• History makes us aware of problems, sorrows, joys, and hardships faced by people in other times and places.

• The more of the mystery of history we solve, the more alive the past will become for us.

• Because, as the Spanish philosopher George Santayana put it, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

• all of the above

Why is history worth studying?

• The study of history helps develop essential critical thinking skills.

• The more we learn today about the errors of the past, the better chance we have of avoiding them in the future.

• C. The study of history can help us develop empathy for others. D. all of the above

• D. all of the above

A secondary source is

• very rarely used by historians.

• a past record created by someone who was present at the time of the events.

• a past record created by someone who was not present at the time of the events.

• usually far more valuable than a primary source.

What is important for historians to keep in mind when they are collecting evidence?

• that the end goal is to create a chronicle

• to consider the points of view and biases of the people who created their sources

• to value secondary sources over primary sources D. to accept all primary sources as truth

• to accept all primary sources as truth