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The Black Legend, Native Americans, and Spaniards: Crash Course US Histo...





New to U.S. History? Here's a very short and quick introduction to America before the English Settlement. The very end of this video emphasizes something I will hope to instill in each of you as we study history: Who is writing this history? Whose perspective do we have? And most importantly, whose perspective is silent? Our studies in rhetoric will be valuable as we look at our primary documents. Keep in mind a few things when we are reading: What is this person's credibility? What kind of language or intention can we discern? Is this an emotional appeal? Which emotions are they trying to evoke? And how does logic fit in with this argument?



Our early readings the first day of class will be primary documents from Puritans. What do you know about Puritans? What are their beliefs? How might those beliefs shape their perspectives of the history they record? And also important to consider: What kind of biases are we bringing in? John Green touches a little on this in the video when he talks about our casual dismissal of "primitive" civilizations or history in general. How many of you think these ideas are backward, too out-dated to study, or irrelevant to today? We'll talk about this in class. These are good questions to consider.



Another point I want you to consider when we study history is the fact that we can never really know for sure exactly what happened. Unlike science, we cannot re-test our hypothesis. We are piecing together parts of a larger puzzle, but like you'll see with Native Americans or any other marginalized group, puzzle pieces are often missing. Instead, we are left with only the information left behind by some. It is vital that we carefully consider the source, their perspectives, and the evidence carefully.



If you are a visual learner, these videos will be helpful, but they are too short to give you the whole picture. Use them as an introduction, not your full study. But I certainly think they can be fun and informative.

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