When approaching a text such as this one, it is helpful to spend a few minutes pre-reading the material of a chapter. During the pre-reading stage, you are simply getting prepared for what you will be reading. This involves several steps. First, determine the chronology and major theme(s) by looking at the chapter title and dates. The title often gives you a clue as to what the authors see as the main point, theme, or development of that chapter. Second, read the chapter headings and focus questions that constitute the “Chapter Preview” at the beginning of the chapter. The headings and questions provide a sense of the major topics addressed in the chapter, and the questions may also point toward the historical thinking skills that are especially emphasized in the chapter. Third, page through the chapter, scanning the subheadings and looking at the maps, timelines, illustrations, and primary sources. This will provide you with information about the major events, individuals, comparisons, and connections discussed in the chapter.
EXERCISE: Let’s practice by pre-reading Chapter 14, “European Exploration and Conquest, 1450–1650.” Scan the chapter as directed in the following steps, and answer the questions in the steps without writing anything down.
Step 1: Look at the chapter title. What is the time frame of this chapter? What is the central theme?
Step 2: Look at the headings and questions in the “Chapter Preview” on page 427. What are the five major topics in this chapter? Which questions focus especially on contextualization? Which on change over time? Which on causation?
Step 3: Page through each section, looking at the subheadings, maps, and illustrations while keeping the following questions in mind:
In the first section, “World Contacts Before Columbus,” what parts of the world had important connections before 1492? Who were the major players in these connections? In the second section, “The European Voyages of Discovery,” what countries were especially important in exploration? From the order in which these countries appear in the subheadings, can you get clues about the chronology of the voyages? Who is the most important individual, the only one mentioned in a subheading? (This person will come as no surprise, but in other sections you might not always recognize an individual named in a subheading. You can always count on his or her historical importance, however.) In the third section, “The Impact of Conquest,” what aspects of life are important to understand in evaluating the impact? Here one of the subheadings is a concept that might be new to you, “The Columbian Exchange,” but it is defined on the same page, as are other important or unfamiliar terms throughout the book. In the fourth section, “Europe and the World After Columbus,” what commodities are mentioned in subheadings or shown in illustrations? What is the only social and economic system mentioned in a subheading? In the fifth and final section, “Changing Attitudes and Beliefs,” what system of ideas is mentioned in a subheading? Which individuals are named in subheadings?
Remember, there’s no need to write down your answers to the pre-reading questions. The point right now is just to get a clear idea of the big-picture developments covered in the chapter. You haven’t read the chapter yet — and you haven’t taken a single note. But by spending five to ten minutes pre-reading the chapter, you already have a good idea of what the chapter’s all about. You have recognized what parts of the story you may have heard about before and what parts are completely new. By taking this time, you’ll be able to read with a clear focus, saving yourself a lot of time later on. Now that you have a good idea of the big picture, you’re ready to begin actually reading the text.