Do you know anyone who has ESP? Most often we use that term to describe someone who claims that they can see ghosts or communicate with "the spirit world." The term means extra sensory perception and the people who say they have it believe that they can "see" what others cannot.

To explain events from the past, historians need a little E-S-P. No, they do not speak with the spirit of George Washington. Instead, they try and "see" into the past by learning about an event from multiple perspectives. Rather than say that one reason caused something, they look at events from an economic (E), social (S), and political (P) perspective.

Learn more about each by clicking on the letter below. Clicking on the letter will call up the matching box.

Activity

Before moving on to the end of Reconstruction, let's double check that you understand the E-S-P model for history by using a fictional example involving an eighth grader's decision on how to spend his Saturday.

Read the short scenario below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Find three reasons in the passage that explain Billy's decision to go to the movies. When you have found the reasons, click on the text to highlight them.
2. Select the appropriate category (economic, social, or political) for each reason.

All of these reasons combined to influence Billy's decision. He didn't just go because he wanted to stop being made fun of, or because he had 50 extra bucks to spend. They all mattered.

With this understanding, let's take a look at the end of Reconstruction. Using E-S-P will allow us to take a much deeper look at this critical event.