Critical Thinking & Writing in History

Book excerpt: Critical Thinking & Writing in History is a guide through the historical method. This work explores the very definition of history and offers explanatory text in locating sources, source analysis, argumentation and reasoning, looking for subtext, causation, contextualization, generalization, historical empathy, and writing history. Critical Thinking & Writing in History is ideal for college freshmen seeking to improve their historical thinking. Readers will learn the answers to such questions as: What is the nature of history? What sources do historians use and where do they find them? How do historians analyze sources? How do historians interpret subtext? How do historians structure arguments? What are common mistakes in reasoning? What is causation and how do historians prove it? How do historians contextualize arguments and events? What circumstances are necessary to create a generalization? What is the role of moral judgement in studying the past? How do historians write? Written with student needs in mind, this text offers clear short arguments and explanations, bolded key terms, original images, and endnotes for further reading. Critical Thinking & Writing in History is an ideal primer for historical thinking.