Question
Hopefully, by this point in the course you have learned that historical individuals are complex characters with complex motivations. It can be easy to accept that a person is inherently bad or good from reading one side of the story. Good historians look at historical figures from multiple perspectives to try to create a fuller picture of that person. History is still interpretation at the end of the day, though, so you should analyze people in history for yourself and use the evidence you discover to make an educated interpretation of the people you read about. In addition, it takes time for people to see how an event or leader plays out in the longer run. Reflecting on the past and situating the event or person in context is also an important part of being a historian.
To practice historical interpretation, here is a short excerpt from a history about Andrew Jackson. Read the document, noting the characterization of Andrew Jackson. Then, respond to each of the questions.
“There was an electrifying dynamism about Jackson that I found irresistible…[He was] the embodiment of the new American...This new man was no longer British. He no longer wore the queue and silk pants. He wore trousers, and he had stopped speaking with a British accent…Everyone has warts.(flaws) Lincoln has warts. But in the end you have to ask, ‘Does a man believe in some good things?’ He believed in this Union. He believed in this country. And he was morally surefooted in believing that government shouldn’t be for only a small segment of society, but for all of us. And by God, that’s what I want in my president.”
-Historian Dr. Robert V. Remini
Questions.
1) Summarize the document above in 1-2 sentences. What point is the author making about Jackson?
2) The author writes "Everyone has warts." What are some of the most glaring warts (flaws) that Andrew Jackson had?
3) Do you believe in his interpretation of Jackson? Why or why not?
To practice historical interpretation, here is a short excerpt from a history about Andrew Jackson. Read the document, noting the characterization of Andrew Jackson. Then, respond to each of the questions.
“There was an electrifying dynamism about Jackson that I found irresistible…[He was] the embodiment of the new American...This new man was no longer British. He no longer wore the queue and silk pants. He wore trousers, and he had stopped speaking with a British accent…Everyone has warts.(flaws) Lincoln has warts. But in the end you have to ask, ‘Does a man believe in some good things?’ He believed in this Union. He believed in this country. And he was morally surefooted in believing that government shouldn’t be for only a small segment of society, but for all of us. And by God, that’s what I want in my president.”
-Historian Dr. Robert V. Remini
Questions.
1) Summarize the document above in 1-2 sentences. What point is the author making about Jackson?
2) The author writes "Everyone has warts." What are some of the most glaring warts (flaws) that Andrew Jackson had?
3) Do you believe in his interpretation of Jackson? Why or why not?
Answers
Answer
write it like a 8th grader
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