Most of the books we have read have promised in one way or a…
Most of the books we have read have promised in one way or another to provide a new perspective on Early American history by introducing new sources or new points of emphasis, or both. What new perspectives or approaches seem most useful to you and why? Your answer should focus on at least five. How would you characterize the historiography of colonial and revolutionary America? What are the questions that the historians of this period ask that seem to be the most “of” this period, or tailored to answering the historical questions/problems encountered when looking at America between 1400 and 1800 (roughly). Write a short synthetic history of the colonial and revolutionary era that highlights the key events and/or ideas that best explain the period. You do not have to be teleological—that is all the events and ideas lead somewhere—but you do need to be expository—your key ideas and events need to explain something about the important about the period. As with any synthesis, you should error on the side of inclusivity, though you do not need to talk about everything. What are the five most “useful” books we read this semester? You can define useful however you want, but you must make the case based on their academic merit—some combination of the questions asked, the evidence marshalled, and the conclusions reached.