This document discusses how historical narratives provide insights into interactions between different peoples in America over 400 years ago, before modern electronic media. It explains that historical narratives come in two basic forms - primary sources that present firsthand accounts through documents like letters and diaries, and secondary sources that present indirect knowledge through histories and biographies. Finally, it notes that in colonial times, Native Americans recorded information orally and through symbols for thousands of years, while Europeans reported on explorations and settlements through survivors' tales and adventure stories in letters and journals using vivid details.

1. Recording the American Experience