Discovering the American Past offers you, the student, the opportunity to assume the role of historian and explore the human past through primary source evidence. Using the following proven six-step process, you will learn to approach evidence critically and within the proper context to assess what it means. The Problem: Poses the central question at the beginning of every chapter. Background: Gives you the historical context to understand the source material. The Method: Offers options and suggestions for how historians might approach the Problem. The Evidence: Provides range primary source material related to the central question. The Evidence ranges from photographs and cartoons to diary entries, advertisements, court documents, maps, and letters, among other source types. Questions to Consider: Asks you to compare and contrast these primary sources. Epilogue: Describes how the historical problem was or was not resolved.