Strayer University HIS 300 Exam 2 (pdf) | 2026/2027 | African
American History Q&A | History
1. Which of the following best defines historical methods?
A) The memorization of key dates and names from the past
B) The techniques and procedures historians use to research, analyze, and
write history
C) The study of how history has been taught in schools
D) The collection of historical artifacts for museums
Correct Answer: The techniques and procedures historians use to research,
analyze, and write history
Rationale: Historical methods encompass the systematic practices historians
employ to investigate the past, including identifying sources, evaluating
evidence, constructing arguments, and presenting findings. This is the
foundation of professional historical practice.
2. A secondary source is best described as:
A) A firsthand account of a historical event
B) A document created after the event that interprets or analyzes primary
sources
C) A historical novel set in a past era
D) A government document created during the period under study
Correct Answer: A document created after the event that interprets or
analyzes primary sources
Rationale: Secondary sources are works that interpret, analyze, or synthesize
primary sources. They are produced after the events they discuss and
,provide scholarly commentary on the past. Textbooks, biographies, and
scholarly articles are secondary sources.
3. What is the primary purpose of peer review in historical scholarship?
A) To ensure that historical arguments conform to a single political viewpoint
B) To validate research through evaluation by other experts in the field
C) To increase the length of historical publications
D) To eliminate all interpretive differences among historians
Correct Answer: To validate research through evaluation by other experts in
the field
Rationale: Peer review is a process in which other scholars evaluate research
before publication to ensure its quality, validity, and contribution to the field.
It helps maintain standards of evidence and argumentation.
4. Which of the following is an example of a primary source?
A) A history textbook on the American Revolution
B) A scholarly article about the causes of World War I
C) A diary entry written by a soldier during the Civil War
D) A biography of Abraham Lincoln
Correct Answer: A diary entry written by a soldier during the Civil War
Rationale: Primary sources are firsthand accounts or direct evidence from the
period under study. A Civil War soldier's diary is a primary source because it
was created during that time. Textbooks, scholarly articles, and biographies
are secondary sources.
,5. What is a historiography?
A) The study of how historical events actually happened
B) The analysis of how history has been written and how interpretations have
changed over time
C) The collection of historical documents in an archive
D) The teaching of history in universities
Correct Answer: The analysis of how history has been written and how
interpretations have changed over time
Rationale: Historiography is the study of historical writing and the evolution
of historical interpretations. It examines how historians' perspectives,
methodologies, and contexts shape their accounts of the past.
6. Which ancient historian is known for his emphasis on eyewitness
testimony, accuracy, and political analysis in his history of the Peloponnesian
War?
A) Herodotus
B) Thucydides
C) Livy
D) Tacitus
Correct Answer: Thucydides
Rationale: Thucydides is considered the father of scientific history because of
his rigorous methodology. He relied on eyewitness accounts, cross-examined
sources, and sought to understand the causes and consequences of the
Peloponnesian War with analytical precision.
7. The term "historiography" is often used to refer to:
, A) The writing of history itself
B) The study of historical writing and its development
C) The use of oral tradition in history
D) The chronological order of events
Correct Answer: The study of historical writing and its development
Rationale: Historiography is the study of how history is written and how
historical interpretations have changed over time. It examines the
methodologies, perspectives, and contexts that shape historical accounts.
8. The Annales School of historiography emphasized:
A) Political and diplomatic history
B) The history of everyday life, geography, and long-term social structures
C) The role of great individuals in history
D) The use of quantitative methods only
Correct Answer: The history of everyday life, geography, and long-term social
structures
Rationale: The Annales School, founded by Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre,
shifted focus away from traditional political and diplomatic history toward
social, economic, and cultural history. It emphasized the *longue durée*
(long-term historical structures) and the lives of ordinary people.
9. Karl Marx's contribution to historiography includes:
A) The emphasis on class struggle and economic forces as drivers of
historical change
B) The focus on religious beliefs as the primary cause of historical events
American History Q&A | History
1. Which of the following best defines historical methods?
A) The memorization of key dates and names from the past
B) The techniques and procedures historians use to research, analyze, and
write history
C) The study of how history has been taught in schools
D) The collection of historical artifacts for museums
Correct Answer: The techniques and procedures historians use to research,
analyze, and write history
Rationale: Historical methods encompass the systematic practices historians
employ to investigate the past, including identifying sources, evaluating
evidence, constructing arguments, and presenting findings. This is the
foundation of professional historical practice.
2. A secondary source is best described as:
A) A firsthand account of a historical event
B) A document created after the event that interprets or analyzes primary
sources
C) A historical novel set in a past era
D) A government document created during the period under study
Correct Answer: A document created after the event that interprets or
analyzes primary sources
Rationale: Secondary sources are works that interpret, analyze, or synthesize
primary sources. They are produced after the events they discuss and
,provide scholarly commentary on the past. Textbooks, biographies, and
scholarly articles are secondary sources.
3. What is the primary purpose of peer review in historical scholarship?
A) To ensure that historical arguments conform to a single political viewpoint
B) To validate research through evaluation by other experts in the field
C) To increase the length of historical publications
D) To eliminate all interpretive differences among historians
Correct Answer: To validate research through evaluation by other experts in
the field
Rationale: Peer review is a process in which other scholars evaluate research
before publication to ensure its quality, validity, and contribution to the field.
It helps maintain standards of evidence and argumentation.
4. Which of the following is an example of a primary source?
A) A history textbook on the American Revolution
B) A scholarly article about the causes of World War I
C) A diary entry written by a soldier during the Civil War
D) A biography of Abraham Lincoln
Correct Answer: A diary entry written by a soldier during the Civil War
Rationale: Primary sources are firsthand accounts or direct evidence from the
period under study. A Civil War soldier's diary is a primary source because it
was created during that time. Textbooks, scholarly articles, and biographies
are secondary sources.
,5. What is a historiography?
A) The study of how historical events actually happened
B) The analysis of how history has been written and how interpretations have
changed over time
C) The collection of historical documents in an archive
D) The teaching of history in universities
Correct Answer: The analysis of how history has been written and how
interpretations have changed over time
Rationale: Historiography is the study of historical writing and the evolution
of historical interpretations. It examines how historians' perspectives,
methodologies, and contexts shape their accounts of the past.
6. Which ancient historian is known for his emphasis on eyewitness
testimony, accuracy, and political analysis in his history of the Peloponnesian
War?
A) Herodotus
B) Thucydides
C) Livy
D) Tacitus
Correct Answer: Thucydides
Rationale: Thucydides is considered the father of scientific history because of
his rigorous methodology. He relied on eyewitness accounts, cross-examined
sources, and sought to understand the causes and consequences of the
Peloponnesian War with analytical precision.
7. The term "historiography" is often used to refer to:
, A) The writing of history itself
B) The study of historical writing and its development
C) The use of oral tradition in history
D) The chronological order of events
Correct Answer: The study of historical writing and its development
Rationale: Historiography is the study of how history is written and how
historical interpretations have changed over time. It examines the
methodologies, perspectives, and contexts that shape historical accounts.
8. The Annales School of historiography emphasized:
A) Political and diplomatic history
B) The history of everyday life, geography, and long-term social structures
C) The role of great individuals in history
D) The use of quantitative methods only
Correct Answer: The history of everyday life, geography, and long-term social
structures
Rationale: The Annales School, founded by Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre,
shifted focus away from traditional political and diplomatic history toward
social, economic, and cultural history. It emphasized the *longue durée*
(long-term historical structures) and the lives of ordinary people.
9. Karl Marx's contribution to historiography includes:
A) The emphasis on class struggle and economic forces as drivers of
historical change
B) The focus on religious beliefs as the primary cause of historical events
