186 ChApTEr 7 | reForM anD reaCtion | period Four 18 0 0 –1848 TopI C II | Debating the identity of america^187187smithsonianamericana
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Y.prACTICINg historical Thinking
Identify: Describe the images in the foreground and background. Which images
are most prominent?
Analyze: What kind of people are featured here? What is omitted from this picture?
What might Durand’s purpose be in omitting these things?
Evaluate: Turn Durand’s picture into a statement about the relationship between
nature and people. Explain your response.ApplyINg Ap® historical Thinking Skills
n ew sKill Synthesis
One of a historian’s most important skills is the ability to synthesize complex and often
contradictory evidence in a way that will be clear and informative to a reader. Synthesis is
the skill that turns separate pieces of information into a cohesive, sensible statement that
teaches and informs.
The title of Topic II is “Debating the Identity of America,” which is a broad topic, and the
seven documents in this section (Docs. 7.5–7.11) cannot capture all of the arguments about
what it meant to be an American between 1800 and 1848. Using a secondary source like
a textbook or classroom notes, however, you can draw some broad conclusions about the
debates regarding the identity of America during this time period. To do so, you need to
practice synthesis.steP 1 Organize Documents 7.5 through 7.11 into two to four categories. For example,
you could arrange them into “proslavery,” “antislavery,” and “other.” This method of08_STA_2012_ch7_169-190.indd 186 19/03/15 4:33 PM