An Endnote from the Editors

In these sobering days of shortfalls and budgetary constraints, we at the Institute nevertheless have a lot to be thankful for, from the generosity of the Omohundros to the steadfast support of our sponsors and Associates. We honor the invaluable assistance of the latter group in this issue by listing their names and sending out our gratitude. We could not do what we do without your help.

This issue also highlights our appreciation for three gifted scholars whose work has measurably enriched our understanding of early American history. We are honored to carry in these pages tributes to Greg Dening, Don Higginbotham, and Noble E. Cunningham, Jr., and we thank Rhys Isaac, Jack Greene, and Jeff Pasley for reminding us of the fine body of work these colleagues have given us and what their scholarship continues to mean to the field. Dennis Maika concludes his article about teaching AP history to high school students by showing that through creative perseverance, the benefits of “doing history” can successfully compete with the anticipation of proms and graduation and even mitigate at least some of the manifestations of senior slump! We are grateful to Dr. Maika for taking the time to share his experiences with the readers of Uncommon Sense.

Looking ahead, Brett Rushforth previews the Institute’s Fifteenth Annual Conference, scheduled for June 11– 13, in the stunning mountain scenery of Salt Lake City, Utah. Another trip to Ghana will follow in July for “Africa, Europe,and the Americas, 1500–1700,” a two-week workshop that will take place in Accra and aims to build on the connections and conversations initiated during the August 2007 conference. Early scholarly reactions to the films the Institute produced from that international meeting and information on how to order the two-disc set appear in this issue as well. We are also pleased to bring to your attention a publication project sponsored by several of the African scholars who attended the 2007 meeting (p. 8). Finally, we alert all William and Mary Quarterly subscribers to Council chair Sir John Elliott’s invitation to nominate individuals to membership on that body.

You’ll hear from us again as the spring semester draws to a close. Send us your news—and thanks for reading.

Sally D. Mason and Meg Musselwhite
Editors