Strayer University HIS 300 Final Exam (pdf) | 2026/2027 | African
American History Q&A | History
1. Which of the following best defines history as an academic discipline?
A) The memorization of dates, names, and events from the past
B) The study of change and continuity over time through the interpretation of
evidence
C) A collection of myths and legends passed down through generations
D) The analysis of current political events and their implications
Correct Answer: The study of change and continuity over time through the
interpretation of evidence
Rationale: History is not merely memorization but the systematic study of
change and continuity over time. Historians interpret evidence from the past
to construct narratives about human experience. Myths and legends may be
part of historical study, but they are not the definition of history itself.
2. A primary source is best described as:
A) A scholarly article written about a historical event
B) A firsthand account or direct evidence of a historical event or period
C) A textbook summarizing historical knowledge
D) An opinion piece about historical significance
Correct Answer: A firsthand account or direct evidence of a historical event
or period
Rationale: Primary sources are materials created during the time under
study, such as diaries, letters, photographs, and official documents. They
provide direct evidence of historical events.
,3. Which of the following is an example of a secondary source?
A) A diary entry from a soldier during the Civil War
B) The U.S. Constitution
C) A biography written about Abraham Lincoln
D) A newspaper from the day of the Pearl Harbor attack
Correct Answer: A biography written about Abraham Lincoln
Rationale: A biography is a secondary source because it interprets and
synthesizes primary sources about Lincoln's life. Diaries, the Constitution,
and contemporary newspapers are primary sources because they were
created during the period being studied.
4. What is historiography?
A) The study of how history has been written and how historical
interpretations have changed over time
B) The process of writing history for the first time
C) The collection of historical artifacts
D) The teaching of history in schools
Correct Answer: The study of how history has been written and how historical
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.
5. The "Rankean revolution" in historiography is associated with:
A) The use of oral history
,B) The emphasis on archival research and the ideal of objective history
C) The application of Marxist theory
D) The focus on women's history
Correct Answer: The emphasis on archival research and the ideal of objective
history
Rationale: Leopold von Ranke promoted the use of primary sources and
archival research, arguing that history should be written "as it actually was"
(*wie es eigentlich gewesen*). His approach laid the foundation for modern
professional history.
6. Which ancient historian is often called the "father of history"?
A) Thucydides
B) Herodotus
C) Livy
D) Tacitus
Correct Answer: Herodotus
Rationale: Herodotus is widely regarded as the "father of history" for his work
*The Histories*, which chronicled the Greco-Persian Wars. He combined
inquiry, travel, and storytelling to create one of the first comprehensive
historical narratives.
7. Which ancient historian emphasized accuracy, eyewitness testimony, and
political analysis in his work on the Peloponnesian War?
A) Herodotus
B) Thucydides
, C) Plutarch
D) Suetonius
Correct Answer: Thucydides
Rationale: Thucydides is known for his rigorous approach to historical
methodology. He relied on eyewitness accounts, cross-examined sources,
and sought to understand the causes and consequences of the
Peloponnesian War with analytical precision.
8. Medieval historiography was often characterized by:
A) A focus on secular, political history
B) The integration of religious and providential perspectives on history
C) The use of statistical analysis
D) The rejection of written sources
Correct Answer: The integration of religious and providential perspectives on
history
Rationale: Medieval historians frequently interpreted history through a
theological lens, seeing events as part of God's divine plan. Chronicles and
annals often combined historical narrative with religious commentary.
9. 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
American History Q&A | History
1. Which of the following best defines history as an academic discipline?
A) The memorization of dates, names, and events from the past
B) The study of change and continuity over time through the interpretation of
evidence
C) A collection of myths and legends passed down through generations
D) The analysis of current political events and their implications
Correct Answer: The study of change and continuity over time through the
interpretation of evidence
Rationale: History is not merely memorization but the systematic study of
change and continuity over time. Historians interpret evidence from the past
to construct narratives about human experience. Myths and legends may be
part of historical study, but they are not the definition of history itself.
2. A primary source is best described as:
A) A scholarly article written about a historical event
B) A firsthand account or direct evidence of a historical event or period
C) A textbook summarizing historical knowledge
D) An opinion piece about historical significance
Correct Answer: A firsthand account or direct evidence of a historical event
or period
Rationale: Primary sources are materials created during the time under
study, such as diaries, letters, photographs, and official documents. They
provide direct evidence of historical events.
,3. Which of the following is an example of a secondary source?
A) A diary entry from a soldier during the Civil War
B) The U.S. Constitution
C) A biography written about Abraham Lincoln
D) A newspaper from the day of the Pearl Harbor attack
Correct Answer: A biography written about Abraham Lincoln
Rationale: A biography is a secondary source because it interprets and
synthesizes primary sources about Lincoln's life. Diaries, the Constitution,
and contemporary newspapers are primary sources because they were
created during the period being studied.
4. What is historiography?
A) The study of how history has been written and how historical
interpretations have changed over time
B) The process of writing history for the first time
C) The collection of historical artifacts
D) The teaching of history in schools
Correct Answer: The study of how history has been written and how historical
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.
5. The "Rankean revolution" in historiography is associated with:
A) The use of oral history
,B) The emphasis on archival research and the ideal of objective history
C) The application of Marxist theory
D) The focus on women's history
Correct Answer: The emphasis on archival research and the ideal of objective
history
Rationale: Leopold von Ranke promoted the use of primary sources and
archival research, arguing that history should be written "as it actually was"
(*wie es eigentlich gewesen*). His approach laid the foundation for modern
professional history.
6. Which ancient historian is often called the "father of history"?
A) Thucydides
B) Herodotus
C) Livy
D) Tacitus
Correct Answer: Herodotus
Rationale: Herodotus is widely regarded as the "father of history" for his work
*The Histories*, which chronicled the Greco-Persian Wars. He combined
inquiry, travel, and storytelling to create one of the first comprehensive
historical narratives.
7. Which ancient historian emphasized accuracy, eyewitness testimony, and
political analysis in his work on the Peloponnesian War?
A) Herodotus
B) Thucydides
, C) Plutarch
D) Suetonius
Correct Answer: Thucydides
Rationale: Thucydides is known for his rigorous approach to historical
methodology. He relied on eyewitness accounts, cross-examined sources,
and sought to understand the causes and consequences of the
Peloponnesian War with analytical precision.
8. Medieval historiography was often characterized by:
A) A focus on secular, political history
B) The integration of religious and providential perspectives on history
C) The use of statistical analysis
D) The rejection of written sources
Correct Answer: The integration of religious and providential perspectives on
history
Rationale: Medieval historians frequently interpreted history through a
theological lens, seeing events as part of God's divine plan. Chronicles and
annals often combined historical narrative with religious commentary.
9. 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
