Stephanie Muntone - U.S. History Demystified

DeMYSTiFieD Series

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The important questions a historian asks are What happened? and Why did it happen? This book should help you to answer those questions on the topic of U.S. historythat is, from the arrival of the Indians on the North American continent up to the end of the Cold War in 1991.

History students are often confused by a wealth of information being thrown at them at oncenames, dates, presidents, and acts of Congress following one another in a bewildering array. The easiest way to sort out the confusion is to think about how events connect with one another. History is a long story of causes and effects. For example, the Missouri Compromise led indirectly to the Civil War. Provisions of the peace treaty signed at the end of World War I created the conditions that led to World War II. And so on. Its much easier to remember events when you understand how they relate to one another.

This book tells you the political, social, and cultural history of the United States in a narrative format, emphasizing the key ideas so you will understand why they are importantwhy congressional leaders compromised on slavery, what caused a major wave of migration or immigration, or why the Civil Rights movement began when it did. Each chapter deals with an important era or event in history, such as the Civil War or the Great Depression. Chapter topics can overlap in time, but the order of topics is basically chronological. The book is divided into three major sections:

begins with the first arrival of human beings in North America and ends shortly after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

covers the United States in the nineteenth century, including the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Gilded Age.

narrates the course of U.S. history in the twentieth century, including both world wars, the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights movement.

Each chapter ends with a 10-question quiz, and each section ends with a 50-question exam. There is also a 100-question exam at the end of the book. The questions are all multiple-choice, similar to the sorts of questions used on standardized tests. Many of the questions ask you about causes and effects: Why did this event happen? What happened as a result of that decision?

You might try taking the chapter quiz first, before reading the chapter. This will tell you which sections of each chapter you already know well, and which sections you need to study further. Read and study the chapter, then take the quiz again. Keep working on each chapter until you can answer at least 9 of the 10 questions correctly.

Take each section exam after you have mastered the corresponding series of chapters, and take the final exam once you have mastered the entire book. Check your work against the answer key; if you answer at least 92 of the 100 questions correctly, you can consider that you have mastered the subject satisfactorily. Go back and study any areas of the book that cover questions you did not answer correctly.

If you are using this book as a course companion, follow along at the same pace your professor is taking. Use the book for extra tutorial and practice in addition to what is covered in class. If you are using the book as a substitute for taking a course, or to prepare yourself for an exam, then allow yourself time to get the most out of it. Allow three months, one month for each section of the book. Read the narrative, take the quizzes, and make a list of questions on aspects of U.S. history that arent clear to you. Use the sources recommended in the bibliography, or similar titles in the library or bookstore, to find the answers. When youre done with the course, you can use this book, with its comprehensive index, as a permanent reference.