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