History 301: Historiography & Historical Methods Final Exam
The fluid way by which groups of people create and then identify with specific narratives about historical periods or events is known as _____.
Historical memory
In what way is history supposed to be subjective, in a way that chemistry or physics are not?
History is not meant to be irrefutable
The 1960 presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy illustrates what aspect of television?
Its ability to influence and persuade using visuals
Polybius says that 70,000 Roman soldiers and about 5,700 Carthaginians died. Livy says that about 50,000 Romans and 8,000 Carthaginians died. Can you give, with 100% certainty, the number of Roman soldiers who died at the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC?
No, because there's a source discrepancy and it's not obvious who's right.
What type of historical evidence should be totally taken at face value?
None
Even if debate is possible over a topic in history, why might this complicate rather than progress our understanding of it?
Not all debates are constructive
Stories that are not written down, but are passed down verbally from generation to generation are considered:
Oral tradition
All of the following are drawbacks of oral histories EXCEPT:
People have a harder time remembering important events
We can empathize with the fear of communist infiltration within the U.S. in the mid-20th century because _____.
People were afraid of the Soviet Union
What is a primary ethical concern about the plagiarism of other historians' works?
Plagiarism can be difficult or even impossible to detect, let alone stop
Why should open-ended questions be asked by oral historians?
So the subject can tell the story in their own words
Which of the following is NOT something a historian would study?
Something that could occur in 2300 CE
Which of the following best showcases historiography?
Studying the way World War II was recorded by different historians and why
Gerald was reviewing his notes for his paper. He found that he had written down one statement in error. Review the statements below and indicate which one Gerald should eliminate from his notes.
Technology only applies to physical innovations that have mechanical or electrical parts.
Which of the following is NOT true about the Soviet archives?
The Soviet archives have always been open to the public and historically have been relatively transparent.
What is the past?
The entire collection of everything that has ever been
Where is the information found on the demographics of participants in a study?
The methods section
What is one reason why a public history book might not have any footnotes?
The public history book might not introduce any new ideas.
What is the function of a primary source?
To record original events or materials
The details surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg would most likely appeal to a historian with which of the following specializations?
U.S. military history
Which was NOT listed as a strategy used to pursue objectivity in research and writing?
Use of selected historical methodologies
When is it okay to address a source discrepancy very briefly?
When the discrepancy is not very central to your main argument
Christopher Browning has devoted his life to studying gender history, specifically the history of gay rights.
Which of the following is NOT true?
Do you need to cite a source when paraphrasing information using your own words?
Yes, always.
If you find that you've written more of a descriptive essay when you meant to write a persuasive essay, you should _____.
go back and add persuasive statements following each instance of evidence in your essay
Plagiarism is...
never acceptable in any form.
A primary source can be defined as which of the following?
original material, first-hand information, the raw materials of history
Historians _____ the past.
research, interpret, record
Outlining the major points from your essay after writing the essay can help you _____.
spot ideas that are out of place
As an academic discipline, history refers to the _____ of the past.
study, knowledge, and interpretation
Who can be cited as an example of the connection between history and psychology?
Adolf Hitler
Ward Churchill's comparison of terrorism victims to Nazi Germany officials represents an issue with the management of what?
Bias
What is the view that historical change is primarily brought about by broad social, political, and economic movements?
Functionalism
Why is chronology such a popular choice for a historical essay organization?
History relies on dates and changes over time
Which of the following factors can influence the way history is recorded?
Political, Economic, Military
Which of the following historical events have Muslim extremists abused as part of their propaganda attempts over the past 40 years?
The Crusades
The length and complexity of an essay's thesis depends on what?
The academic level it is written for
What is history?
The interpretation and recording of the past
Why are primary sources so well-treasured by historians?
They offer insight that might be unavailable in any other way
What's the point of step six in Busha and Harter's method?
To integrate your conclusions into a wider body of knowledge
When is it appropriate to change a thesis?
When research reveals it could be changed
History cannot be connected with mathematics because the two are too different.
Which of the following is NOT true?
Who owns history? Choose all the possibilities.
central authorities, individuals, the present generation
When you try to improve your thesis statement, you should _____.
make it more specific, based on the major points you've made in your paper
What is defined as accomplishing a task using technical processes, methods, or knowledge?
technology
The historians, writers, and propagandists of Nazi Germany abused history in which of the following way(s)?
they tried to equate Nazi Germany to the Roman Empire, they glorified ancient Germanic tribes.
All of the following are examples of periodization EXCEPT:
1861 to 1865
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote a famous work on his thoughts on the abuse of history. Who was Friedrich Nietzsche?
A German philosopher of the 19th century
Which of these is an example of a novel approach in a source for a historian?
A new source saying that Napoleon's usual horse was sick at the Battle of Waterloo, which no one had ever heard before
Which of these is an example of a source lacking relevance?
A source focused on China while you're working on the Aztec
All of the following are examples of public history EXCEPT:
A textbook about the Civil War
A historian embarks on a study of early modern history from the perspective of the candle trade. Why would this history be best described as post-revisionist?
Because they're viewing a specific time period from a unique perspective, i.e. that of a single commodity.
Thesis-antithesis-synthesis is most associated with:
Hegelian Dialectic
With historiography in mind, what is the best answer to the following question: "Who discovered America?"
It depends which historian you ask and when
Which is NOT true of museum exhibits?
Most museum exhibits lack broad appeal and tend to interest only specialists.
What is historiography?
The history of history
Which is a process of investigation used to arrive at truth?
The scientific method
Which is NOT true of specialists?
They know a reasonable amount about a wide variety of history.
When checking for plagiarism, what is the purpose of searching a piece of information in a search engine?
To find the sources which published the information you are using.
Heinrich Schliemann used his knowledge of Homer to find which ancient site?
Troy
Which of the following is NOT true about archives?
When archives release/declassify important sources, it rarely results in new scholarship.
Which is probably the most diverse and commonly used medium of expressing a historical narrative?
Written text
Which of the following is an example of a primary source?
eyewitness testimony
If you lived in 19th century America, you would have MOST likely seen Columbus as a _____, and if you lived in the late 20th century you would have MOST likely seen Columbus as a _____.
hero; villain
Busha and Harter's historical research methods are described in a book on _____.
librarianship
Which of the following is an example of a secondary source?
newspaper article
What are defined as rules for acceptable behavior within a society?
norms
What is an example of a historian's personal experiences providing clarification on historical events?
A Jewish historian may provide a better framework for the studying of Jewish history
Which would NOT be considered a primary source?
A biography of George Washington by a Cambridge professor.
Which would NOT be considered a primary source?
A book by a historian about the life of John Adams.
Which of the following could be a clue that a coin is faulty or a fake?
Advanced metal, image of a crop that was not known to that people or to that people at that time, wrong calendar
What is something that historians must remember when using digitized sources?
As sources become easier to make, it is easier to create false sources
Evaluate the statements below and indicate which one best describes "Reoccurring Themes."
Discernible patterns throughout the course of history.
The fact that Ancient Greece traded Olive Oil is an example of which of the following?
Environmental Determinism
Why does history change from generation to generation, but the past remains the same?
Because different generations have different values and beliefs
Rebecca is writing a research paper on the topic of cyber terrorism. She had to use both primary and secondary sources to back up her opinion. To develop her thesis she contacted a high-ranking local FBI agent who agreed to provide her with an interview. She also conducted a survey of her college to oversee their opinion on the topic. Lastly, in a Q&A session, she managed to obtain a comment from the deputy head of the NSA. She only cited the primary sources she used. Why is her paper incomplete?
Because she didn't cite any of the secondary sources she used.
The Japanese government considers the Yasukuni Shrine to be sacrosanct and will not do what?
Change any part of its makeup or details
Which of the following would be considered a traditionalist interpretation of why Country X invaded Country Z?
Country X and Country Z have always disliked each other, and war was inevitable.
What should you do if you find two sources that don't agree with each other when it comes to definitions or statistics you need for your essay?
Find additional sources that used similar methods to see which conclusions were able to be duplicated.
The process in which an account of the past is researched and constructed is called:
Historical methodology
Which of the following is an example of a public history role that requires little or no educational and professional background?
Historical re-enacter
What is the view that historical change is primarily caused by the actions and influence of important historical figures?
Intentionalism
A particular perspective or view about the past is called:
Interpretation
One particular view or theory based on historical evidence is called:
Interpretation
Who was a famous German philosopher who believed that all of history unfolded because of economics?
Karl Marx
Today, we consider what happened to Native Americans in the past abhorrent. We can empathize with their plight. But the empathy with their historical maltreatment wasn't always the case due to _____.
Manifest Destiny
Which of the following is NOT true?
Postmodernism is the view that objective truth and an objective view of reality is possible.
Something that happened before a time when people recorded information is known as _____.
Pre-history
In the following passage from Leviticus 17:10-11 in the Bible, what type of historical data do we find and what is one thing we can tell about the past from this passage?
Prescriptive: Israelites had to drain blood from their meat.
General Joe commands an army in the First World War. After the war, General Joe comes home and writes a book about the campaigns he fought in. General Joe's book is an example of a:
Primary source
A timeline would be MOST useful for understanding which of the following?
The events of World War II
History is based on the _____ and this is why historical memories are made subject to potential bias.
The interpretation of the past
Which of the following is an example of changing styles that help historians determine where in time (or place) a particular item belongs?
changes in fashion as portrayed in a photograph, changes in pottery styles, changes in metal techniques
The entire collection of everything that has ever happened before the present time is _____.
the past
Historiography helps us understand _____.
why history was interpreted differently over time, our own biases about history, actual historical events
Which historical transformation saw the heavy use of cassettes?
Iranian Islamic Revolution
What type of historical data do we find in this passage from the New York Times and what is one thing we can learn about the past from this passage?
Descriptive: We can discern the crowd size of Obama's first inauguration.
The rise of historical usage of film and photography is a contrast to traditionalist sources like _____.
Letters
Great Man Theory could be used to explain all of these EXCEPT?
The Black Death
