HIST103: World History (1600–Present)

1a. Discuss international or global perspectives on events rather than understanding them solely through national frameworks

• What is an international or global perspective?
• What does it mean to be a global citizen?
• How can understanding events from a global perspective, rather than a national framework, give you a better understanding?
• How can a global perspective help you to analyze the patterns and trends in world events?

An international or global perspective studies history and world events as if they were pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. A national framework examines how events impacted one particular nation or group of people. An international or global perspective evaluates how an event, issue, or time period affected the global community as global citizens, such as how events influenced the culture of different countries and how people relate to one another.

For example, an international or global perspective evaluated how World War I affected Germany, England, the United States, and other nations (including those not directly involved). This framework helps historians find patterns, identify trends among different global places, and study the short and long-term meanings of future events.

To review, see Developing a Global Perspective and Global Citizenship.

1b. Use primary and secondary sources to create arguments about historical causation

• What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source?
• What are some examples of primary and secondary sources?
• How do primary sources help historians to evaluate history authentically?
• What are some limitations of primary and secondary sources?

A primary source is an artifact from the time period that helps historians evaluate an event or period. Primary sources include diaries, newspaper articles and advertisements from the period, paintings, and other artifacts people used or created.

A secondary source is created or written by someone who did not personally or directly witness or live through an event. Examples include biographies, textbooks, history books, political commentary, and opinion pieces.

While research historians value both perspectives, primary sources allow them to engage in historiography or study how historians interpret history. Both types of historical records have limitations. Primary sources often contain biases inherent to the person who created them or the time period. They portray one small piece of the overall picture. We use primary sources to understand the thoughts, perspectives, and views of the people alive during the time being studied. Secondary sources also reflect the biases of the author and the culture of the time period when they were written. Neither perspective tells the entire story. They are pieces of a puzzle.

To review, see Primary Sources and How Historians Use Newspapers.

1c. Weigh evidence for and against to craft narratives that explain why events happened

• How does a historian weigh evidence?
• What is causation?
• How does evaluating the evidence help historians develop a thorough understanding of causation?

Historians study and evaluate causation and why events occur. For example, the causes of World War I were complex. While an assassination triggered the war, historians evaluate the events that followed from every angle to detangle the web and decipher what led to war across the region. They must weigh the supportive and contradictory evidence.

For example, Austrians focus on a Serbian individual who asserted his independence by killing the Archduke of Austria-Hungary. However, today's historians see how a tangle of European alliances drew many nations, including the United States, into conflict. Historians evaluate both perspectives when analyzing the confluence of events and how actions led to certain responses.

To review, see What Is History? and Causation and Interpretation in History.

Unit 1 Vocabulary

• artifact
• bias
• causation
• contradictory evidence
• global citizen
• global perspective
• historiography
• international perspective
• national framework
• primary source
• secondary source
• supportive evidence