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Pathways Through American History: Everyone Has a History

Colorful outdoor mural depicting people sharing a meal
"The Potluck," mural by David Fichter, Cambridge, MA.

Photo by Lorianne DiSabato, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.


People Make History


This Pathway, "Everyone Has a History," provides a look at how historians and archeologists investigate the past and what you can do to tell all Americans' stories.

Find other Pathways.

Silhouettes of people with telescope in front of dark blue sky
Stargazing at El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico.

Public domain.

Marker 1 of 4: What does a historical figure look like?

Go look in the mirror. What do you see?

Think about some of the stories you know from United States history. Who do you see reflected there?

History doesn’t just happen. People in the past made choices (and sometimes mistakes) based on the information and values they had at the time. Things would be different in the present if they made different choices.

What can you gain from history by learning about their struggles and triumphs? What values inform your decision-making?

Black and white photo of a man looking at a folder in a row of file boxes
Eisenhower Museum, Abilene, Kansas, 1977.

Courtesy Library of Congress.

Marker 2 of 4: How do historians use documents to reconstruct what we know about the past?

Historians are like detectives who investigate what happened in the past based on clues that people left behind. These clues are called primary sources, because they were created firsthand by people in the past. Historians often rely on written primary source documents like letters, journals, maps, and newspapers.

Language plays a key role in how we document the past and communicate. The terms and names we use shape our reality and influence how we understand the world, because they reflect how we choose to remember the past.

Imagine you are a historian reconstructing what happened in the past. What does history need from you to remain fair, accurate, and credible?

Reconstructing the Past

More to Explore

The resources below focus on the primary documents that historians use to learn about the past. Consider how the choices that historians make affect what we know about the past and the way we remember it.

Children surrounding a man showing objects on a table
At the Crow Canyon Archeological Center, an instructor informs students, part of a cadre in the center's visiting residential program for young people, about the Anasazi, the ancestors of today's Pueblo Indians.

Photo by Carol Highsmith. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Marker 3 of 4: How can including different kinds of sources enrich our understanding of the past?

Lots of what we know about the past comes from the written record, but there are also things that have been left out of historical documents. Other experiences cannot be captured in writing. Discover some of the ways we can learn about the past besides written sources.

Think about all the objects and materials you've touched so far today. In 100 years, what will remain? What will future generations know about you from what you leave behind?

Excavating the Past

  • Two women look at a piece of paper in front of a camera
    Subject Site
    Oral History

    People's stories are among the most valuable resources that the National Park Service preserves and protects for future generations.

  • Hand holding a piece of pottery
    Subject Site
    Archeology

    Many people think the past is behind us. Archeologists know it's just below the surface.

  • Aerial view of fields
    Education Resource
    New Philadelphia

    Archeologists and historians pieced together documents, recollections of descendants, and artifacts to tell the story of a multiracial town.

More to Explore

The resources below introduce two more ways to consider how historians and archeologists know what they know. Think about what we can gain from incorporating these ways of knowing and what we would lose without them.

Mural with text written over a globe
"Art and Activism for Climate Action," 2018.

Photo by Fabrice Florin, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Marker 4 of 4: How do we use stories to tell others about who we are? How do they affect how we think about ourselves and others?

Storytelling--including documenting history--has the power to speak to the perspectives and experiences of people whose lives may be similar or unlike our own. Throughout American history, sharing our perspectives with each other has influenced people to question cultural prejudices, stand up against injustice, and build bridges across our differences.

Consider this quote by poet and advocate Kay Ulanday Barrett: "We have to harvest and cultivate our own stories, not just to feel valid, but to feel rejoiced." Have you ever felt rejoiced? Who or what made you feel that way?

Telling Stories

More to Explore

The resources below provide more examples of how speaking your own truth provides a powerful form of testimony and helps others broaden their own perspectives.

Keep Up the Pace

Now that you know how people told their stories in the past and how historians reconstruct them, how would you tell yours? Check out the Primarily Me Challenge to learn how you can use sources to document your story.

Learn about primary sources

The content for this article was researched and written by Jade Ryerson, an intern with the Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education.

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Last updated: July 12, 2022