General
History URLs
Ancient History
Medieval History
Modern History
20TH-Century World History
20TH-Century America
Africa
Asia
Europe
Latin America
North America
Russia
Introduction to General History
1. Enter the name of a famous historian
in a search engine. Roughly how many sites come up that relate
to that historian? Are some historians better represented
on the web than others? How can you account for this? Is it
due to their relative importance to the discipline, or are
there other factors?
2. Use a search engine to find the
find the home page of the American Historical Association,
and then click on the link for affiliated societies. What
are some of the areas these societies study? Find the page
for the American Historical Review. What are the topics of
the articles for the most recent issue? Read the article submission
guidelines. What do they tell you about the scholarship of
this journal and who its readers are? Have a look at the members
of the editorial board. Do they tend to come from certain
types of universities? Go to your college’s library and find
the last few issues of the American Historical Review. Do
you discern any patterns to the types of articles found there?
Does the journal cover the methodology of history?
3. Find the website for the journal
History and Theory. How does this publication differ from
the American Historical Review? Does it have a different focus?
Does it have a different readership?
4. Find the website for the World
History Association. What journals does it publish, and on
what aspects of history do the journals focus? What is the
geographic distribution of the editorial board? How does the
World History Association seek to promote the teaching of
history?
5. Type an important concept from
the period and area of history you are currently studying.
Examples can include Marxism, fascism, feudalism, or slavery.
Note that some sites will focus on a narrow aspect of the
concept, while others may give broad treatment. As you explore
the sites you find, try to determine if the host of the material
at a given site seeks primarily to sway visitors to feel a
certain way, or if the host seeks to present a more objective
view of the subject. Try to find out who exactly created these
sites. Are they college professors? Students? Others?
6. Find Usenet discussion groups
on various aspects of history and historiography. What subjects
are covered? Which ones appeal to you? Why? Poke through a
few discussion groups and decide what types of people participate
in them. Investigate how well the group stays on topic, and
how much useful discussion and information exchange actually
takes place.
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Ancient History
1. Search for sites dealing with
Egyptology and the history of Egypt. Does the study of ancient
Egypt seem like it is confined primarily to historians? If
not, what other academic disciplines are involved? Does it
seem that various social science disciplines study the same
subject? Can they complement each other?
2. Use a search engine to find sites
about the lives and philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
Place them in chronological order and be able to outline important
aspects of their philosophies. You can also search for sites
dealing with other famous Greeks such as Euripides, Sophocles,
and Pericles.
3. Find the Perseus Project, which
is centered at Tufts University. What is the project? How
far reaching is it? From its website, what other sites can
you reach, and what types of information do they present?
4. Three major monotheistic religions
arose from the Middle East: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Search the Web for sites that cover the historical roots of
these three religions. Can you find elements or beliefs that
the three have in common? How did the religions spread over
time and area?
5. The organization and structure
of the economy is vital to the long-term sustenance and growth
of societies, countries, and empires. Use the Internet to
find sites that detail the economic organization of specific
areas, and also sites that trace long-term changes in economic
practices and output. How efficient were the economies you
investigated? Could they best be described as capitalist,
communist, or a mix of some sort? How does their organization
compare with those of the United States and Western Europe?
With countries in Latin America and Africa?
Tips for Searching The
Perseus Project at Tufts University is an excellent place
to start a search. It’s expanding in size and should become
even more useful over time.
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Medieval History
1. Use a search engine to find journals
that cover medieval history. Here are two examples: Exemplaria:
A Journal of Theory in Medieval and Renaissance Studies and
Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
On what subjects do they focus? Are the journals similar or
do they differ in important ways?
2. Find the website for the virtual
tour of the Tower of London. How long has the Tower of London
existed, and what have been its primary uses? What famous
historical figures have been there? What are some of the more
important events surrounding the Tower of London?
3. Search for sites covering the
activities of the Vikings and Norse explorers of medieval
times. How did the conquests and raids of the Vikings affect
the course of European history? How far did the explorers
range? When and where did they land in North America?
4. The Byzantine Empire was a major
bastion of Christianity throughout the medieval period, and
often had custody of the biblical holy sites. Look for information
on Byzantium on the Web. What was daily life like there? How
were women treated? How did the fortunes of the empire change
over time? What finally led to its fall? You should also be
able to find on-line exhibitions of Byzantine art and artifacts.
5. Search the web for sites relating
information and opinion about the Crusades. What motivated
the Crusaders? What were there successes and failures? What
impact did the Crusades have on the history of Europe and
the Near East?
Tips for Searching Many
sites are in foreign languages, chiefly French and German,
but also Swedish and the other Scandinavian tongues. Do not
pass up these sites. You can still understand a surprising
amount even if you know nothing of the language at all. Besides,
most of us studied at least a little of a European language
at some time during our lives. Now is a good chance to see
how much you remember.
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Modern History
1. Search for websites that present
information about the American, French, and Russian revolutions.
Which revolution was the most radical, i.e., led to the greatest
changes in social, political, and economic institutions, and
also in culture? Which was the least radical? Do you think
a supporter of the American Revolution would be more comfortable
with the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution?
2. Use a search engine to find information
on two important 19th century trends of thought: Romanticism
and Materialism. What are the main points of Romanticism?
Materialism? What people are most closely associated with
Romanticism and Materialism? Are these two ways of viewing
the world still relevant today? In what ways?
3. Look for sites that discuss the
growth of industrial society from the late 18th century to
the present. Where did industrialization begin, and where
and why did it spread? What were some of the breakthrough
inventions and processes that led to the advanced industrial
society of today’s developed world?
4. The Reformation was a watershed
event in the history of Europe. Search the web for information
on the who-what-where-when-why, and also for the primary history
sources that help us understand what happened. What range
of information is out there on the net? Why do you think this
amount of information exists?
5. Search the Internet for information
on the Renaissance. What led to the Renaissance? Who were
the key figures of the Renaissance? What important advances
occurred during the Renaissance?
6. The "Victorian Age" spanned most
of the nineteenth century. Use the web to investigate what
"Victorian Age" and "Victorian" refer to. Are there certain
themes that characterize this time period? Can you draw any
unifying conclusions as to what the terms mean?
Tips for Searching
Yahoo is especially useful for this time period http://www.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/History/.
It also leads you to numerous other useful lists of sites.
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20th-Century World History
1. The two world wars of the 20th
century had a dramatic impact on the entire globe. Find sites
that detail the events leading up to each war. Compare and
contrast the reasons why each war started, and think of possible
lessons that leaders could learn to help prevent such wars.
Also, look for information about the geographical extent of
the wars, and data about the number of dead and injured and
the amount of destruction.
2. Use a search engine to find information
about the Holocaust. What types of information do you find?
Why do you think there are, relatively, so many sites on this
subject? Can you find information about genocide in other
places and times in the twentieth century? Two examples: Armenian
genocide and Cambodian genocide.
3. Look for sites that detail life
for average people in various parts of the world in the early
part of the century. How does it compare with present life
in Western countries? Developing countries? What technology
was available in 1920? Did most people live in cities in 1900?
4. The Great Depression devastated
the world economy in the 1930s. Look for web sites that: explain
the causes of the Great Depression, discuss how the Great
Depression spread from the United States to other countries,
describe how various countries around the world both fared
during the Great Depression and sought to ameliorate its effects,
examine reasons for the end of the Great Depression.
5. European colonialism reached its
height early in the twentieth century, but had all but disappeared
by 2000. Search the Internet for sites covering colonialism
and how the emerging nations fared after colonialism. What
was the history of European colonialism. What were the characteristics
of colonial rule? What factors led to the end of colonialism?
How did the new nations deal with their new-found independence?
What problems have they faced, and how well have they coped
with them?
Tips for Searching Look
for on-line atlases that help you place the major changes
of the 20th century in a geographic context. A good one is
at http://www.erols.com/mwhite28/20centry.htm.
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20th-Century American History
1. The Great Depression, World War
II, and the ’60s counterculture movement all had a major impact
on most Americans alive at the time. Look for information
on the Internet that describes these impacts and/or gives
examples of how society changed.
2. Use a search engine to find topics
related to the Vietnam War. What types of sites do you find?
Some will be academic; others will relate personal experiences
of participants and those affected by the war, in prose, poetry,
and pictures. Do you think that an hour or two spent browsing
the Web on this topic can give a more varied picture than
reading a book on the same subject?
3. Use the World Wide Web to find
examples of American culture throughout the 20th century.
Look for sites on literature, drama, movies, television, music,
fashion, Can you spot patterns or trends? Do some eras receive
more coverage than others? If so, why?
4. Over the last thirty years academics
have finally begun to acknowledge the important role of women
in history. Look for websites that examine the lives of American
women. Are you able to find many? How do you explain this
quantity? What aspects of women’s lives are explored on these
sites? What range of activities are covered? Who are some
of the important women in American history that you had previously
been unaware of? What were there important actions?
5. Bill Clinton has been a controversial
president. Find websites that examine the Clinton presidency
and how well the United States fared during his tenure. Look
for information that will allow you evaluate the Clinton presidency
in the following areas: economy, foreign affairs, social policy,
leadership, and providing direction for America.
6. Since the early 1960s, the United
States has undergone significant economic and political change.
Find Web sites that identify and present data and evidence
for this change. What do the sites offer? Do they help convince
you that there has been significant change?
Tips for Searching For
data relevant to the last exercise, check the mountain of
information at the U.S. Bureau of the Census site. It will
not give you everything you need, but it is a good start.
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Africa
1. Use the web to find sites and
maps that show the early sea voyages made by European explorers
along the African coast. Who were the most important explorers,
and where and when did they do their exploring?
2. Pick an African country that interests
you, and then use a search engine to find sites about that
country. What information do you find? Is there enough information
in quality and breadth to give you a good feel for the country?
3. Search the web for sites that
present information about European colonization and the drive
for independence from the colonizing powers from the late
1950s onward. Why did decolonization happen so rapidly?
4. Africa has and has had a wide
variety of cultures. Look for sites that display the artistic
and literary outcomes of these cultures. What peoples and
cultures are represented on the web? What types of art and
literature are on the web? What impressions do you have of
this art and literature?
Tips for Searching Compared
to Western nations, Africa receives little attention on the
World Wide Web, which is disappointing but not entirely surprising,
given that the vast majority of Internet users and hosts of
websites are in the West. Be diligent and use all the main
search engines.
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Asia
1. Two of the world’s major religions—Hinduism
and Buddhism— have their roots in India. Search the web for
sites that deal with the teachings and history of these two
religions. In what ways are they similar? In what ways are
they different? In what parts of the world does each predominate?
2. Search for sites that deal with
some aspect of the Jewish Diaspora from ancient Israel and
surroundings. Can you find out were the Jews migrated, how
they were treated, what sorts of adaptations they made, and
how they maintained their religion and culture?
3. Use a search engine to locate
sites that deal with Chinese domestic and foreign policy since
the communist revolution. What have been the major changes?
One important aspect of Chinese policy is how it treats Hong
Kong since taking over the former British colony in the summer
of 1997. Check on-line newspapers and magazines for the latest
details.
4. Look on the web for sites detailing
the various dynasties of China, from ancient times through
the early twentieth century. How did the different dynasties
differ from each other in terms of origin of the rulers, type
of administration, tolerance of religion, willingness to expand,
etc.?
5. The formation of the state of
Israel in 1948 has been a source of significant tension in
the Middle East. Search for sites the examine the Israeli-Arab
conflict, from its historical roots to present-day tensions,
negotiations, and solutions. What are the main causes of the
conflict? What solutions have been proposed? Implemented?
Of the sites you find, how many seem to be dispassionately
objective? Why do you think there are so many partisan sites?
Tips for Searching Here
you will find a similar situation as with Africa. Use all
your search skills.
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Europe
1. Throughout its history, Europe
as a whole—in fits and starts and with occasional setbacks—slowly
adopted increasingly democratic institutions. Look for sites
that present information about this change. For example, look
up the Magna Carta, the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the French
Revolution, the revolutions of 1848, and the changes toward
and away from democracy in Britain, France, and Germany.
2. Since the early 1950s, the nations
of Europe have slowly been integrating their economies under
the umbrella of the European Community (also called the EC,
the European Economic Community, the Common Market, and the
European Union). Search for sites that describe the decisionmaking
institutions of the EC and also discuss how successful the
EC has been to date and what it has planned for the future.
What are the current obstacles to further economic integration?
Will there be accompanying political integration?
3. In late 1989, the states of Eastern
Europe escaped from the control of the Soviet Union and moved
to adopt Western European economic and political models. How
successful have Poland, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary,
Romania, and Bulgaria been at this task? Can you find data
that helps you answer this question? What is the likelihood
that one or more of these nations will eventually join the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization? How does Russia view this
potentiality?
4. Pick a country in Europe and find
sites about it on the Internet. What information can you find
about the history of the country, from ancient times to the
present? Are all time periods and areas of the country’s history
well-covered, or are there significant gaps?
5. In the 1990s Yugoslavia disintegrated
into chaos and war. Search the Internet for sites on Yugoslavia
and the territories that split off it. What is the historical
background to the turmoil? What accounts for Serbia’s aggression?
How have Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and
Macedonia fared? What was the effect of the military campaign
against Yugoslavia begun by NATO in 1999? What are the future
prospects for the region?
Tips for Searching Look
for an explosion of web sites covering Europe as the Europeans
warm up to the Internet. Knowledge of foreign languages here
is useful—a good-enough excuse to begin studying one.
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Latin America
1. Search the World Wide Web for
museums in Latin America. While knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese
is helpful, you may find that even without detailed knowledge
of these languages that you can navigate the sites. Some sites
also have versions in English. Using the English versions,
compare and contrast the diversity of offerings in the different
museums. Do they tend to present similar materials?
2. Search the Web for the Library
of Congress’ site on 1492. Using this site and other related
sites, answer the following questions: What was life like
in the Americas prior to the arrival of Europeans? What was
the impact of discovery and colonization by Europeans on the
indigenous populations of Latin America? What was life like
for the majority of people living in Europe at the time, and
how does it compare with the lives of the people living in
the Americas?
3. Latin America has seen numerous
revolutionary movements throughout its history. Search the
web for sites related to such movements, past and present.
What were/are the demands of the revolutionaries? Have the
demands been met? Have the revolutionaries been successful?
Did the revolutionaries often get outside support, and if
so, from where?
4. Pick a country in Latin America
that interests you, and then search the Internet for sites
on that country. What information can you find on the county’s
history and current economic, political, and social situation?
Is there enough information to give you a good feel for the
country?
Tips for Searching Many
of the sites are in Spanish, but look for an "English version"
button.
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North America
1. Find sites that deal with the
history, politics, and culture of colonial America and America
through the time of Jefferson. What stands out to you as the
most important events and characteristics? Did life change
much for most people after British rule ended?
2. The Civil War was a divisive and
destructive event in American history. Look for sites that
detail what happened, who was impacted, and what the results
of the war were.
3. Over the course of American history,
the American population has changed dramatically in size,
composition, and distribution. Find web sites that show how
the population has changed in these three ways. Do any of
the sites give predictions about the future characteristics
of the American population?
4. Several wars were fought in North
America prior to the Revolutionary War. Look on the Web for
sites that detail these wars. What were the causes of these
wars? What were the outcomes? Who were the winners and losers?
How did Native Americans fare? What were the costs and benefits
to the American colonists?
5. Search the Web for sites covering
the struggle for women’s rights in America. Who were the early
activists and what did they seek to accomplish? How and when
did women win the right to vote? What other advances have
women made in the struggle for equality during the twentieth
century?
Tips for Searching Since
the United States still dominates Internet activity, there
are a relatively large number of web sites on American topics.
Pay close attention to search engine rules and selection of
search words.
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Russia
1. Search the Web for information
about Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. What are the
main facts available about them? What do you consider to be
their accomplishments? Their shortcomings?
2. Use the World Wide Web to find
everything you can on the Russian Revolution. Who were the
key players in the Revolution? Do different sites offer different
interpretations of the outcome and impact of the revolution?
Also, look for information on Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky,
and Joseph Stalin.
3. Use a search engine to locate
sites that cover various aspects of life and politics in the
Soviet Union, and also in Russia after the breakup of the
Soviet Union in 1991. What changed? What stayed the same?
Can you find information about why the Soviet Union dissolved?
In a similar vein, look up Boris Yeltsin and Mikhail Gorbachev.
4. Russia has had severe economic
difficulties over the last few years. What has been the cause
of these difficulties? What are some of the relevant economic
indicators of economic decline? How has the economic crisis
affected ordinary citizens in Russia?
Tips for Searching Technological
and economic problems are currently keeping most Russians
off-line and thus unable to create web sites about their country.
This may change for the better with time, although change
will be slow.
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