Question

Which best describes consensus historiography?
A) A bottom-up look at historical events to rethink the traditional perspective
B) A re-interpretation of facts based on new evidence and resulting in new conclusions
C) A revisionist interpretation of events in which all viewpoints are considered
D) A top-down look at historical events to rethink traditional perspective
E) A view of history in which traditional interpretation is upheld

Answer 1

Hint: The study of how by whom history was written and why it was recorded as such is called historiography. It is also a view of if and how events of the past have been reinterpreted so differently by historians over time and why.

Complete answer:
Consensus history is a school of American historiography that emphasizes the basic unity of American values and downplays conflicts as superficial and lacking in complexity in order to preserve the traditional viewpoint. This movement was especially dominant in the 1950s and 1960s.

This emphasis on consensus symbolizes a continued search for a usable past that helps to understand what American society is and how it reached its current state. A goal like this aims toward using historical achievements and regrets; pride and disappointment to affect decisions that may help “one nation/one people” consensus. This long search for a usable past becomes both an expression of present communal comprehension and future objectives. It also offers a celebration of the long tradition of shared American ideals and values.

The insistence on consensus in U.S. national history has been present since the beginning of the nation, and the ideals that have brought Americans together as a people rather than focusing on divisiveness in society have been given considerable importance. This means that the consensus view focuses on upholding the traditional interpretation of history.

Thus, the correct answer is option ‘E’- A view of history in which traditional interpretation is upheld.

Note: The “new social history” which emphasizes race, ethnicity, class, gender, and the way groups have wielded power throughout the nation's past offers a powerful counterweight to the consensus interpretation.