What does “open” mean? It means that instructors can customize all of our books, AND it means that these books are free for students! A History of the United States is a peer-reviewed, two-volume survey textbook available to students at no cost whatsoever. Concerned that students might not read 500 pages online? —they don’t have to! Paperback versions of each textbook are available for less than $35. Audio versions and a variety of other digital formats are also available for the Kindle, Nook, and other platforms.

Our goal is to build a database of primary sources that instructors can select for inclusion in the survey textbooks and primary source readers we are creating. Until now, customized textbooks and readers have been time-consuming to create and rather expensive for students. With Flat World’s customization platform, instructors who can navigate a simple website can easily add syllabi, handouts, and their own content to the survey textbook and reader. For once, creating a customized textbook is as easy as a few mouse clicks. All of this, and the book is still free online and very inexpensive in print.

We are looking for contributors for this database. We hope to offer a balance of topics, themes, and perspectives, and so we are looking for primary sources that deal with all aspects of US History. Each source needs to be relatively brief (edited to be about 1-3 pages in length). It should also be accompanied by an introduction (about 2-3 paragraphs) and two or three discussion questions. Please contact the editor for more information about requirements and permissions.

Here is an example of what this database will offer: A professor in Tulsa could include newspaper clippings about sit-ins that were led by Oklahoma students amongst the other sources she uses when teaching about the civil rights movement. Another historian in Arizona could include a source on the Bisbee Deportation when discussing labor activism, while an instructor in the Northwest could select a source on the Seattle General Strike. These and hundreds of other sources will be categorized into thematic areas such as civil rights history and labor history. Sources will also appear in categories for corresponding to their state and region. In addition, instructors can tailor their mix of political and social history.

Please help us create this important database. Every instructor has a particular primary source they love to use—the kind of primary source they can’t wait to discuss in class because it gets students thinking and talking every time. We want to create an entire book that only uses these kinds of sources. And we want to back it up with a database of regional and thematic history so that all instructors can easily tailor their readers to their class.

All of this, and it is still free for students online and very affordable in print. Help us create the perfect reader.

Potential contributors should contact the editor, Dr. David J. Trowbridge at: david.trowbridge@marshall.edu

We would also appreciate feedback on what is most important to you in a primary source reader. The survey should take five minutes or less and can be accessed through the link below:

http://tinyurl.com/cx96oym

Thank you for your willingness to participate in our survey!