My initial goal was to learn about and chronicle the major events that occurred in Americas history

from the pre-colonial period thru Reconstruction. In fact, I did learn about the events outlined in the
Student Performance Objectives supplied in the instructors syllabus and described below. This,
however, wasnt the only substance of value that I gained from this course. What I learned far exceeded
my initial expectations. Some of the unwritten but implied goals that I achieved was to learn about the
value of interpretation and reflection. In developing interpretation skills, I learned how to evaluate
events in context with the social, economic and political conditions prevalent at that time. I also learned
about the value of viewing events from multiple perspectives. Through, interpretation of primary
sources, I was able to live through history from the perspective of individuals who actually witnessed
important events. The process of reelection allowed me ti improve my interpretations by listening and
incorporating insights gained from others. Different people interpret the same document in different
ways. Merging different viewpoints enhances the understanding history and document interpretations.
Gaining new insights into history and about Historians was one important outcome of the course. But I
think, learning to use some of the tools available to Historians, such as interpretation and reflection, was
the most important outcome gained from this course. Taking History 7A, was a step in the right direction
for me to achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a Historian.