PALO ALTO COLLEGE
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

History 1301- Final Exam

The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it.
Oscar Wilde

Imagine that you have been selected to give the keynote address for the Society of American History Students. The audience includes your classmates, teachers, and your relatives (both old and young). The title of your address is entitled "Your Ancestors' History Ain't Like Mine." The focus of your address is on what you have learned and UNlearned about the past from the agricultural revolution through the middle of the 19th century. Utilizing this Jules Feiffer When I Went to School cartoon, why does history change over time?

Jules Feiffer 1970 cartoon

How has learning about our American past changed for you over this semester? How has the Electronic Textbook contributed to these changes? What historical websites would you recommend to your audience? Include a combined minimum of TEN chapter references from the Electronic Textbook and Flyover History- Volume I, plus three websites in your speech regarding changing perspectives of the past.

Consider the variety of ways one can learn about American history. (e.g. artifacts, books, films, field trips, the Internet…) How would you attempt to stretch the imagination of others to see a history previously ignored? What aspects of the past are important for us to understand? Why are they important? How would you encourage the student of history to explore this past? Who might you consult before making this speech? How might s/he or they provide you with different insights?

What does the future hold for American History Students? Can you foresee the day when students don't associate the words "dull and boring" with history? How can you be part of the solution to that question?

The essay must be equivalent to four full typed pages. (minimum: 1000 words.)