Going to the Source, Volume 1: To 1877

Book excerpt: Lots of readers offer lots of sources, but only Going to the Source gives students a clear method for how to use them. The reader's strong pedagogical framework, developed by historians with extensive teaching experience, helps students learn how to ask fruitful questions in order to evaluate documents effectively and develop critical reading skills. Mirroring the chronology of the U.S. history survey, each chapter introduces students to the excitement of working with documents by focusing on a single intriguing historical episode. The reader's wide variety of chapter topics that complement the survey course and its rich diversity of sources -- from personal letters to political cartoons -- provokes students' interest as it teaches them the skills they need to successfully grapple with historical sources.