This primary source reader in the popular DISCOVERING series contains a six-part pedagogical framework that guides students through the process of historical inquiry and explanation. The text emphasizes historical study as interpretation rather than memorization of data. Each chapter is organized around the same pedagogical framework: The Problem, Background, The Method, The Evidence, Questions to Consider, and Epilogue. Volume I of the Eighth Edition integrates new documents and revised coverage throughout. For example, there are new chapters on creation stories and culture in colonial America, the transition to racial slavery in Virginia, women's rights, and Civil War nurses.