Texas History Test Research & Evidence-Based Practice 3

Question 1

The Handbook of Texas, published by the Texas State Historical Association, is best described as a:

Accepted Answer

Tertiary source that synthesizes historical knowledge about Texas

Answer

The Handbook of Texas is a tertiary source — an encyclopedia that synthesizes and summarizes secondary historical scholarship about Texas topics.

Question 2

Spanish colonial land grant records stored in Mexican archives are important to Texas history researchers studying land ownership because:

Accepted Answer

They document original property boundaries and ownership that often underpinned later legal disputes

Answer

Spanish land grant records document early property ownership and boundaries that frequently became the basis for land disputes during and after Texas statehood.

Question 3

A historian comparing two 19th-century Texas newspaper accounts that reach opposite conclusions about the same event should:

Accepted Answer

Analyze each paper's ownership, audience, and editorial stance to understand the divergence

Answer

Understanding a newspaper's ownership, intended audience, and editorial perspective explains why coverage of the same event may differ significantly.

Question 4

U.S. Census records for Texas between 1850 and 1900 are particularly useful to historians researching:

Accepted Answer

Population growth, ethnic composition, and occupational patterns

Answer

Census records document population size, demographics, occupations, and household composition, making them valuable for social and demographic history.

Question 5

When a peer-reviewed journal article about Texas Reconstruction contradicts a popular history book on the same topic, a researcher should:

Accepted Answer

Examine the evidence and methodology behind each claim before drawing conclusions

Answer

A researcher should evaluate the evidence and methodology supporting each claim rather than automatically privileging one type of publication over another.

Texas History Test Practice Test

Texas History Test Practice Test

Texas History Test Research & Evidence-Based Practice 3