79-209 The Art of Historical Detection

6 units, Carnegie Mellon University

How do historians determine how and why episodes in the past transpired This course takes students behind the scenes and acquaints them with the techniques by which historians practice their craft in interpreting historical events. Using dramatic case studies in American history, we will examine a wide array of tools and sources at the historians disposal, among them oral evidence, photographs and images, maps, official documents, memoirs, psychohistory, media and popular culture. Through inclass workshops and solo and group assignments, students will experiment with different methods of historical analysis using a variety of source material. Students will develop a familiarity with the historians toolbox and a newfound appreciation for the painstaking efforts that go into producing the history books they may otherwise take for granted. There is a final project not a final paper instead of a final exam.

Prerequisites: none listed

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