Contents
 American History Explorer Help Contents

Welcome to the American History Explorer for Windows Online Help system! Here you'll find information on operating the program and accessing features through the menus and buttons. This help system has been divided into the topics below to make it as easy as possible to use.

In addition, you may wish to click on the Product Support button below for information on reaching our Customer Service and Technical Support teams:

If you don't find the topic you want on these buttons, click the

button above to locate a more specific topic. You can also use the browse buttons [image] to quickly scan the available topics. At any time you can return to this screen by clicking the [image] button. The topics are linked so that you can move quickly from one topic to another by clicking icons or underlined words.


 Basic Information

As you begin working with American History Explorer, you may find it helpful to understand the following topics. Just click on any underlined title to access information on that topic.

Program Tour

Features of the Opening Screen

Screen Elements

Finding Help

Closing Screens

Exiting the Program

Program Copyrights

Using Copyrighted Material

Bibliography

For more information see:

Summary of Menus

Navigating the Program


 Summary of Menus

The following is a summary of the functions available from menu bars available in American History Explorer. Menu bars are available from Map windows and Article windows (but only if you used the Read/Write installation option). For more information about a particular menu, click on the appropriate menu name.

Map Windows

Map--Create a new map; open an existing map; save, copy, and close a map; delete a map you've added; view a slide show; modify the print setup for maps; and print a map.

Edit--Copy maps to the Windows Clipboard; create, edit, place, move, and delete items on a map; change the background for a map; merge two maps; access the Toolbox to create and manipulate graphics for a map; and edit the map's legend.

Articles--Display Overview, People, and Document articles associated with the current map and associate articles with the current map.

Search--Open the Place/Names dialog which you can use to locate historic places, names, and events that are on the current map, (or other maps); select an item to add to the map, and perform a variety of other search and display options.

Options--Display or hide the map legend, and zoom in or out on a map.

Help--Access online Help for information on program operations and product support, as well as information about American History Explorer and the Settings dialog.

Article Windows

Article--Create articles; open an existing article; save, copy, and close articles; delete articles you've added to the program; modify the print setup for articles and print an article.

Edit--Undo the last action, cut and copy selected text from an Article window into the Windows Clipboard (for use in an article or a word processor), paste text from the Windows Clipboard into an article, select all text within an Article window; find a word or phrase within the current article and repeat a "find" search, and place an article in the Edit mode.

Links--Return to the previous article viewed or jump to the next article viewed in a series of linked articles; link and unlink articles.

Font--Modify the font of text used in all articles, or customize selected text in the current article with bold, italic, or underlined text.

Help--Access online Help for information on program operations and product support, as well as basic information about American History Explorer and the Settings dialog box.

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Icon Bar

Navigating the Program

Moving Text to Word Processors


 Navigating the Program

Although American History Explorer is a sophisticated, fact-packed program, we think you'll find it easy to use.

From most features, you can just click your mouse button when the cursor on screen points to the item you want.

When working with maps and articles, you'll operate in Map windows or Article windows, using basic Microsoft Windows operations. Many other features are accessed by using dialog boxes.

In most instances, you'll see a pointer style cursor. When the cursor changes to a hand cursor it indicates that you're over a "hot spot" in the program. Clicking on a hot spot accesses a program feature. (When adding your own graphics to a map, you may select the hand cursor tool to select and move graphics.) At various other points in the program, your cursor will turn to a solid arrow, indicating that you can scroll left or right by simply bumping the cursor against the edge of the screen while holding down the left mouse button.

Select topics in the list below for assistance in moving around the program. You may also find it helpful to review your Windows User's Guide, since American History Explorer uses many Windows features.

Selecting Items and Using Buttons

Entering Data

Using Dialog Boxes

Closing Screens

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Searching in American History Explorer

Working with Articles

Working with Maps

Working with Pictures

Playing Movies and Slide Shows

Playing Songs and Games

Scrolling Forward and Backward in Time Lines

Printing

Optional Settings

Summary of Menus

Exiting the Program


  Searching in American History Explorer

There are several ways to "explore" the information in this program. You can search for data in several ways, depending upon the information you need. For example,

To find any word in the American History Explorer database, click the Finder icon on the Opening Screen.

To find a specific article, click the Source Book icon on the Opening Screen, or if you already have an Article window open, choose Open from the Article menu or click on the Open Article icon on the icon bar.

To find a specific map, click the Map Studio icon on the Opening Screen, or if you already have a Map window open, choose Open from the Map menu or click on the Open Map icon on the icon bar.

To find items, such as cities, battle sites, and famous people associated with a map, use the Find/Select Items option under the Search menu of the Map window or click on the Search icon on the icon bar.

To find information about U.S. presidents, click the Hall of Presidents icon on the Opening Screen.

To find any picture, click the Picture Album icon on the Opening Screen.

To find a specific slide show, click the Slide Shows icon on the Opening Screen.

To find a 3D picture to view, click the 3D Gallery icon on the Opening Screen.

To find a video to view, click on the Movie Theater icon on the Opening Screen.

To find a time line of a historic period, click on the Time Trek icon on the Opening Screen.

To find music from the Colonial or Civil War periods, click on the Song Book icon on the Opening Screen.

To find questions for testing over information in the American History Explorer, click on the 5Ws Game icon on the Opening Screen.

For more information see:

Using Dialog Boxes

Finder

Source Book

Map Studio

Map Search Menu

Searching for Map Items

Selecting Items and Using Buttons

Hall of Presidents

Slide Shows

Picture Album

3D Gallery

Movie Theater

Time Trek

Song Book

5Ws Game


 Working with Articles

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the American History Explorer is the extensive collection of articles it contains, providing full historical information and insight into the maps and the historic events associated with them.

You can access the articles directly, or while working with other program features such as maps or a time line. Use the articles to learn more about the maps, or as a "mini reference library."

If you choose the Read/Write installation option, you can also edit the articles included with the program and even create your own articles to supplement your "library." When finished, you can associate your articles with maps and/or items contained on a map.

The topic list below outlines the various features available for working with articles. Click on a  topic to view more information about that procedure.

Viewing Articles

Creating Articles

Editing Articles

Linking Text to an Article

Accessing Linked Articles

Saving Articles

Printing Articles

Deleting Articles

Associating Articles with Maps

Associating Articles with Map Items

Articles Associated to Maps

Among the 1,300 articles in American History Explorer, there are some related to the maps in a general way. These associated articles can be divided into three categories:

Overview--General information about the map

People--Biographical sketches of people related to the map

Document--Historical documents related to the map

For more information, see:

Viewing Articles

What's On a Map?

Icon Bars


 Working with Maps

American History Explorer comes with 93 maps, all with related articles and notations to explain their historic significance.

In addition, if you choose the Read/Write installation option, you can create your own maps using "background" maps provided with the program. Background maps are outlines of a particular geographic region. They are available with and without topographic features.

A variety of options are available to help you review and create maps easily. For example, you can display a legend, measure the distance between one or more points on a map, zoom in and out of a map, search for map items, and even draw your own items on maps. The available features are listed in the topic list below. Click on any topic for more information.

Opening a Map

Map Windows

What is on a Map?

Scrolling Through Maps

Map Legends

Measuring Distance on a Map

Zooming In and Out on a Map

Zooming a Selected Map Area

Performing a Search

Viewing Articles

Working with Map Items

Changing the Map Background

Creating a Map

Using the Toolbox

Saving a Map

Copying Maps

Deleting Maps

Merging Maps

Printing Maps

Closing a Map


 Working with Pictures

American History Explorer comes with a collection of more than a thousand images that you can view. In addition to the standard two-dimensional pictures, the program includes both modern and antique stereo images that simulate a three-dimensional picture.

The pictures can be accessed from several different locations.

For more information, click on any of the following topics:

Accessing Pictures

Viewing 3D Images


 Playing Movies and Slide Shows

Thanks to the multimedia features of American History Explorer, you can now listen to, as well as read about, the highlights of American history. Choose from six exciting videos and 110 educational slide shows to bring the past into perspective.

For tips on using these features, select a topic from the following list:

Accessing Videos

Accessing Slide Shows

Stopping Videos

Operating Slide Show Controls


 Playing Songs and Games

Once you've studied the facts included in American History Explorer, you can move on to the fun: Enjoy tunes from yesteryear or challenge yourself with 5Ws, an educational game.

Tips on using these features are included in the following topics:

Opening the Song Book

About the Musicians

Rules for Playing 5Ws


Time Lines
 Time Trek Time Lines

The time lines included in American History Explorer are more than illustrations. Each one can be used as a chronological "port of entry" into the program's database.

Articles accessible through each marked year on the time line serve as a beginning point for study. The articles, maps, presidential profiles, and documents that branch off the main line help put people and events into perspective. The videos that accompany each time line bring a segment of history to life.

For tips on using the time lines, see the following topics:

Accessing Time Line Year Articles

Opening a Time Line

Scrolling Forward and Backward in a Time Line

Accessing Items on a Time Line

Exiting a Time Line


 Printing

For assistance in printing out the maps or articles included with American History Explorer, select one of the topics below:

Print Setup

Print Setup Dialog Box

Printing Articles

Printing Maps

For more information see:

Fonts


 Optional Settings

There are several options you can set in American History Explorer to operate the program according to your personal preferences. Many of these options can be set in the Settings dialog box that is accessed from the Opening Screen. Other optional settings are available from the Options menu of Map windows and the Fonts menu of Article windows .

For instructions on your choices, select from the following list of topics:

Settings Dialog Box

Displaying Legends

Zooming

Printing

Fonts


 Features of the Opening Screen

The Opening Screen of American History Explorer offers you eleven choices for exploring America's past. Passing your pointer cursor over any of the icons changes the cursor to a hand cursor, indicating that you're on a "Hot Spot."

Clicking on a Hot Spot opens a screen where you can select an item related to that feature. For example, clicking on the Slide Shows icon opens a Select Slide Show dialog box where you can choose which slide show you want to view.

Following is a list of the icons and their associated features. Click on any icon name to access a related topic.

Source Book	To research the nearly 1,400 articles
Map Studio	To access 93 maps
Hall of Presidents	To learn about the lives of early U.S. presidents
Slide Shows	To select and view from 110 multimedia slide shows
Movie Theater	To select and view any of six original videos
Finder	To search for any title, word, or partial word in the entire database
Time Trek	To access a chronological view (time line) of history
Picture Album	To select from more than 1,000 pictures
3D Gallery	To view modern and antique 3D images
Song Book	To listen to period music
5Ws Game	To play an educational game
For more information, see:

Program Tour

Settings Dialog Box


 Screen Elements

Depending on the options and features that you are using, various items may appear on the American History Explorer screen. Among the more involved screens are a dialog box (to select items), a Map window (to work with maps), and an Article window (to work with articles).

For more information on these features, click on the appropriate topic below:

Using Dialog Boxes

Map Windows

Article Windows

Additional information is available through the topics listed below. Click on any topic for more information.

Menu Bar

Icon Bar

Map Window

Legends

Articles

Scroll Bars

Status Bar

Toolbox

Desktop Window

Minimize Button

Maximize Button


 Finding Help

American History Explorer for Windows is a user-friendly program that includes extensive online Help. You can access the online Help by pressing the F1 key on your keyboard from any location in the program.

You can also find information by using the Help menu or Help icon which are available from either a Map window or an Article window.

When you access Help, you will be taken to a general topic list from which you can select the topic you need.

If you have a problem with operating the program, please consult your Online Guide and Online Help to review all the available information. If you're still unable to resolve your problem, consult the When You Need Help section within the Online Guide BEFORE contacting Parsons Technology. The Product Support option on the Help menu contains troubleshooting information you should review and follow whenever you encounter a problem operating the program.

For more information see:

Help menu


 Closing Screens

There are several ways you can close a screen, depending upon your installation choice (Read Only or Read/Write) and what program feature you are using. Available methods are described below.

Many program screens display a "curl" at the top or bottom of the right side of the screen. Clicking on this curl usually takes you back to the previous screen. From the Opening Screen, clicking the curl exits the program.

Click the Close Map icon or the Close Article icon (if you're in a Map window or Article window). These icons are always available from the associated window.

Select Close from the Map menu or the Article menu (if you're in a Map window or Article window). These menu options are available from the associated window only when you install the Read/Write version of the program.

Double-click on the Control-menu box in the top left corner of the open window (or click the Control-menu box once and select Close from the drop-down menu).

For additional information, see:

Icon Bar

Menu Bar


 Exiting the Program

When you finish using American History Explorer, exit the program by closing all open windows to return to the Opening Screen. Then click the Exit curl at the bottom right corner of the screen.

Do NOT press the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys to exit the program. Doing so may cause you to lose your data. It would also cause any other applications you may be running under Windows to close.

Also, make sure you exit American History Explorer and Windows before turning off your computer.

The method above produces a Verify dialog. On this dialog, you can select OK to exit the program or Cancel to return to the program.

For more information see:

Features of the Opening Screen


 Program Copyrights

Articles labeled [GAHFF] are excerpts from:

The Great American History Fact-Finder, Copyright 1993 by Ted Yanak and Pam Cornelison. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Articles labeled [EHP] are excerpts from:

Encyclopedia of Historic Places, Facts on File, Copyright 1984, Courtlandt Canby. All rights reserved.

Articles labeled [BJUP] are excerpts from:

United States History for Christian Schools, Copyright 1991 Bob Jones University Press. All rights reserved.

Articles labeled [ENAIT] are excerpts from:

The Encyclopedia of North American Indian Tribes, Copyright 1986 Bison Books. All rights reserved.

Articles labeled [PT] are Copyright 1993, Parsons Technology, Inc.

Song Book songs by Bobby Horton are Copyright 1987, 1988 Bobby Horton.

Song Book songs by Linda Russell are Copyright 1984, 1991, Prairie Smoke Records.

Portions Copyright (C) 1984-1995 FairCom Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

All maps are Copyright 1993-1995, Parsons Technology, Inc.


 Using Copyrighted Material

One purpose of American History Explorer for Windows is to provide an easy way for you to create maps for use in your own personal studies, lessons, and presentations. The maps included with the program are copyrighted by Parsons Technology, and portions of the text are copyrighted by various publishers, but certain uses are allowed.

Federal copyright laws allow for "fair use" of copyrighted materials without permission under certain circumstances. The law allows the reproduction, distribution, and adaptation of copyrighted material if the use is "for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research."

To judge if your use falls under these guidelines, you should take into consideration ALL of the following:

1.	Is the use commercial or non-profit educational? In general, commercial use is not covered under "fair use."

2.	Is the material relevant to the context in which it is used? That is, you can't justify copying the maps or other materials in the program by handing them out to a classroom full of people if the people aren't even studying U.S. history or geography.

3.	How much of the material are you reproducing? In general, reproducing a small number of maps is allowed under "fair use," but reproducing all (or most) of the maps may not be.

4.	What is the effect on the potential value of American History Explorer by your usage? If your usage may cut into sales of the program, it's likely your usage is not "fair." For example, if you are going to reproduce our maps or large portions of text from copyrighted source materials to create your own textbook, you should consider asking permission first.

One rule to apply is to put yourself in our place. How would you react if someone used material you created in the way that you are contemplating using ours?

If you think your usage may not fall under "fair use," contact Parsons Technology at 1-319-395-9626. We'll probably be able to handle your request by phone. But, if your situation is complicated, we may ask you to write or send us a copy of your proposed usage of our material. We want you to use the maps included with the program; we have very few situations where we've absolutely refused. However, we may ask you to give us credit in your work.

This information is not intended to be legal advice, nor to grant rights beyond those allowed under U.S. and international copyright laws. You should contact Parsons Technology and/or competent legal counsel if you have questions about the issues covered herein.

(Some of the material above is adapted from Every Writer's Guide to Copyright & Publishing Law by Ellen M. Kozak, Copyright (c) 1990, Ellen M. Kozak.)


 Bibliography

Ances, Leonard J., The Leonard Ances Antique Stereo Image Collection, Westport, CT, 1995

Architect of the Capitol Under the Direction of the Joint Committee on the Library, The.  Art in the United States Capitol.  Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1976.

Ash Lawn-Highland, Home of James Monroe, Charlottesville, VA

Bailey, Thomas A., and David M. Kennedy. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. 9th ed. Lexington: Heath, 1991.

Berkin, Carol, et al. American Voices. Glenview: Scott Foresman, 1992.

Birthplace of William Henry Harrison, Berkeley Plantation, Charles City, VA

Black Hawk Films, Davenport, IA

Boorstin, Daniel J., and Brooks Mather Kelley. A History of The United States. Needham: Prentice Hall, 1992.

Canby, Courtlandt, and Gorton Carruth. Encyclopedia of Historic Places. 2 vols. New York: Facts on File, 1984.

Carruth, Gorton. What Happened When: A Chronology of Life and Events in America. New York: Signet, 1991.

Commager, Henry Steele,  ed. Documents of American History. 5th ed. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1949.

Courtesy of Beauvoir, The Jefferson Davis Shrine, Biloxi, MS

Craighead Film and Video, Prairie Village, KS

Dodd, William Edward. Jefferson Davis.  New York: Russell and Russell, 1966.

Diamond, Robert A., ed. Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections. Washington: Congressional  Quarterly, 1989.

Encyclopedia Americana, The. International ed.  1993.

Espenshade, Edward Jr., ed. Goode's World Atlas. 13th ed. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1970.

Ferrell, Robert H., and Richard Natkiel. Atlas of American History. New York: Brompton, 1993.

Grafton, John.  The American Revolution: A Picture Sourcebook.  New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1975.

Grouseland, Home of William H. Harrison, Owned and Maintained by Francis Vigo Chapter, DAR, Vincennes, IN

Hammond United States Atlas. Gemini Edition. 1984.

Hardman, Keith J. Issues in American Christianity, Primary Sources with Introductions.  Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1993.

Hart, Harold H., ed.  Hart Picture Archives, Volume 1, A Compendium.  New York:  Hart Publishing Company, Inc.

Hermitage -- Home of President Andrew Jackson, Nashville, TN

Historic Springfield Foundation, Fayette, MS

Hunt, John G., ed. Words of Our Nation, A Reader for Americans. 1993 Ed. New York: Outlet Book Company, 1993.

Horton, Bobby. The Bonnie Blue Flag, Everybody's Dixie, Oh, I'm a Good Old Rebel, Maryland, My Maryland, Rose of Alabama, Stonewall Jackson's Way, Homespun Songs of the C.S.A., Volume 1, Homespun, 3430 Sagebrook Lane, Birmingham, AL, 1985.

---. Jine the Cavalry and Wait for the Wagon, Homespun Songs of the C.S.A., Volume 2, Homespun, 1987.

---.  The Battle of Shiloh Hill, Homespun Songs of the C.S.A., Volume 4,  Homespun, 1988.

---.  Battle Cry of Freedom and Weeping Sad and Lonely, Homespun Songs of the Union Army, Volume 1, Homespun, 1987.

---.  The Battle Hymn of the Republic and When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Homespun Songs of the Union Army, Volume 2,  Homespun, 1990.

---.  Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, Homespun Songs of the Union Army, Volume 3,  Homespun, 1991.

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Galena, IL

James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland, Lancaster, PA

James K. Polk Memorial Association, Columbia, TN

James Monroe Museum (and Memorial Library), Fredericksburg, VA

KAW Valley Films, Inc., Shawnee, KS

Kane, Joseph Nathan,  Facts About the Presidents.  5th ed. New York: Wilson, 1989

Keessee, Timothy, and Mark Sidwell. United States History for Christian Schools. 2nd ed. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1991.

King, David C., Norman McRae, and Jaye Zola. The United States and its People. Menlo Park: Addison-Wesley, 1993.

Kull, Irving S., and Nell M. Kull. A Short Chronology of American History: 1492-1950. Westport: Greenwood, 1952.

Lexington (Virginia) Visitors Bureau, Lexington, VA

Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Montpelier, Home of James Madison, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Montpelier Station, VA

Mordecai Historic Park, Capital Area Preservation, Inc., Raleigh, NC

Morris, Richard B., ed. Encyclopedia of American History.  New York: Harper, 1961.

National Archives, Still Picture Branch, Washington, DC

National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington, DC.

National Geographic Atlas of the World. 1981.

Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC

Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation, Brookneal, VA

Pierce Brigade, Inc., Concord, NH

Pierce Manse National Historic Site, Concord, NH

Rairdin Photography, Anamosa, IA

Rairdin, Craig, Photographer, Cedar Rapids, IA

Rairdin, Ernie, Photographer, Cedar Rapids, IA

Roanoke Island Historical Association, Manteo, NC

Russell, Linda. Brandywine Quickstep, Buttermilk Hill, The Derby Ram, Dog and Gun, Farewell to Old Ireland, The Golden Vanity, Hangman, In the Good Old Colony Days, Massachusetts Hop, The Road to Boston, Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Me?, The Water is Wide, What a Court Hath Old England. The Good Old Colony Days, Prairie Smoke Records, 250 W. 99th Street, #8C, New York, NY 10025, 1984.

---.  The Meeting of the Waters. Roses of the Garden, Prairie Smoke Records, 1991.

Schlesinger, Arthur M., ed. The Almanac of American History. New York: Putnam, 1983.

Seltzer, Leon E. The Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World. Morningside Heights: Columbia University Press by  arrangement with J.B. Lippincott, 1962.

Sherwood Forest Plantation, Charles City, VA

Greg Hadley, Photographer for Sherwood Forest Plantation

Katherine Wetzel, Photographer for Sherwood Forest Plantation

Soucek, Pauline, Stereo Image Collection. Lamont, OK, 1995

St. John, Joyce, Photographer, Cedar Rapids, IA

Stetler, Susan L., ed. Almanac of Famous People. 2 vols. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1989.

Strode, Hudson.  Jefferson Davis.  3 vols.  New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1955-64.

Symonds, Craig L. A Battlefield Atlas. Baltimore: The Nautical and Aviation Publishing Company of America, 1983.

Todd, Lewis Paul and Merle Curti.  Rise of the American Nation.  New York:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1972.

Turner, Mary Jane, Kenneth Switzer and Charlotte Redden.  American Government Principles and Practices.  Ohio: Merrill Publishing Company, 1987.

United States Cong. House. Committee on House Administration. Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States: From George Washington 1789 to Lyndon Baines Johnson 1965. 87th Cong. Washington: GPO, 1965.

United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Hodgenville, KY

Adams National Historic Site, Quincy, MA

Andersonville National Historic Site, Andersonville, GA

Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Greeneville, TN

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, LaJunta, CO

Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanza National Monuments, St. Augustine, FL

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Fort Oglethorpe, GA

Coronado National Memorial, Hereford, AZ

Cowpens National Battlefield, Chesnee, SC

Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, Middlesboro, KY

De Soto National Memorial, Bradenton, FL

Eastern National Park and Monument Association

Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, Philadelphia, PA

Edison National Historic Site, West Orange, NJ

Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Bowie, AZ

Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Dover, TN

Fort Larned National Historic Site, Larned, KS

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, MD

Fort Sumter National Monument, Sullivans Island, SC

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, Vincennes, IN

George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Washington's Birthplace, VA

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Greensboro, NC

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Daviston, AL

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, New Orleans, LA

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis, MO

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Kennesaw, GA

Kings Mountain National Military Park, Kings Mountain, NC

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, Madison, WI

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln City, IN

Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield, IL

Manhattan Sites, New York, NY

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, Kinderhook, NY

Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord, MA

Minute Man National Park Service, Dennis Dostie, Photographer

Moores Creek National Battlefield, Currie, NC

Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ

National Capital Region, Washington, DC

Ninety Six National Historic Site, Ninety Six, SC

Pea Ridge National Military Park, Pea Ridge, AR

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, Put-in-Bay, OH

Richmond National Battlefield Park, Richmond, VA

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO

Roger Williams National Memorial, Providence, RI

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Mountainair, NM

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, NE

Shiloh National Military Park, Shiloh, TN

State of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

Tumacacori National Historical Park, Tumacacori, AZ

Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg, MS

Virginia Division of Tourism, Richmond, VA

Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA

Wagman, John.  On This Day In America.  New York: Gallery Books, 1990.

Webster's New Biographical Dictionary.  Springfield: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1988.

World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: Field Enterprises Educational Corp., 1972.

Wright, John W., ed.  The Universal Almanac. Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel, 1993.

Yanak, Ted, and Pam Cornelison. The Great American History Fact-Finder. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993.

Yenne, Bill. The Encyclopedia of North American Indian Tribes. Greenwich: Bison Books, 1986.

Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, KY


 Map Menu

The basic functions you'll need as you're working with maps in American History Explorer can be found on the Map menu of a Map window. Options on this menu allow you to open, close, and save maps. You can also create new maps and delete them, set up your printing functions and print any maps. (To modify the items on a map, you'll use the Edit menu.)

For detailed information about the features available from this menu, click Working with Maps.

For more information see:

Print Setup

Print Setup Dialog Box

Printing

Menu Bar

Icon Bar

Summary of Menus

Edit Menu

Articles Menu

Search Menu

Options Menu

Help Menu


 Edit Menu for Maps

Many of the functions you'll need as you're working with the items on maps in American History Explorer can be found on the Edit menu. Options on this menu allow you to create and manipulate map items, copy map items or portions of a map, edit the map legend, change the background for the map, merge two maps, and access the Toolbox to add graphics to a map. For detailed information about the features available from this menu, click Working with Map Items.

For more information see:

Swapping Backgrounds

Merging Maps

Toolbox

Map Legends

Summary of Menus

Map Menu

Articles Menu

Search Menu

Options Menu

Help Menu


 Articles Menu for Maps

The options on the Articles menu in a Map window allow you to instantly view any of the articles generally associated with a map. You can also choose different or original articles to associate with a map.

With a Map window open, select the Articles menu option that best describes the type of information you'd like to view about that map. Descriptions of your three choices are listed below.

Overview--General information about the map

People--Biographical sketches of people related to the map

Document--Historical documents related to the map

For instructions on using the fourth option on the Articles menu, click Associating Articles with Maps.

For more information see:

Working with Articles

Working with Maps

Summary of Menus

Map Menu

Edit Menu

Search Menu

Options Menu

Help Menu


 Search Menu

The Search menu is available from any Map window (if you used the Read/Write installation option). It allows you to search for map items in the American History Explorer program. You can then view the item on a map or add it to a map.

Selecting Find/Select Items from the Search menu opens the Place/Names dialog where you can:

View a list of items on the current map.

View a list of items NOT on the current map, but exist on other maps.

Add items to the current map.

Find and select items already on the current map.

View a list of maps containing a selected map item.

Delete items from the program (if you used the Read/Write installation option).

Various category check boxes are available so you can limit the types of information displayed on the dialog. For example, you can display cities only. Click on Limiting Categories for more information on this feature.

Click on Place/Names Dialog Box and Map Item List for more information on using this dialog.

For more information see:

Performing a Search

Working with Map Items

Deleting Map Items

Working with Maps

Summary of Menus

Map Menu

Edit Menu

Articles Menu

Options Menu

Help Menu


 Options Menu

The Options menu is available from any Map window (if you used the Read/Write installation option). You can use the options to modify maps to suit your needs.

For more information on the options available from this menu, click the appropriate topic below.

Display Legend

Zoom

For more information see:

Working with Maps

Summary of Menus

Map Menu

Edit Menu

Articles Menu

Search Menu

Help Menu


 Help Menu

The Help menu is available from any Map window or Article window (if you used the Read/Write installation option). It allows you to access information about operating the program and contacting Parsons Technology. The following explains each of the options available from the Help menu:

Online Help--contains a list of topics you can select to obtain additional information about how to use the program and how to contact Parsons Technology for product support. From most topics, you can access additional or related topics as well.

About American History Explorer--lists the program version, copyright information, Settings options, and the team who worked to bring you American History Explorer.

For more information on finding help, click Finding Help.

For more information see:

Summary of Menus

Map Menu

Edit Menu for Maps

Articles Menu

Options Menu

Search Menu

Article Menu

Edit Menu for Articles

Links Menu

Font Menu


 Article Menu for Articles

With an Article window open, you have access to an Article menu (if you used the Read/Write installation option). This menu allows you to create new articles and delete them; open, save, and close the open article; copy articles to the Windows Clipboard, modify print settings; and print an article.

For details on any of these functions, click on a topic from the following list:

Creating Articles

Opening Articles

Saving Articles

Copying Articles

Deleting Articles

Print Setup

Print Setup Dialog Box

Printing Articles

Closing Articles

For more information see:

Summary of Menus

Edit Menu

Links Menu

Font Menu

Help Menu


 Edit Menu for Articles

The Edit menu that appears when you have an Article window open provides options you'll use when creating and editing articles. (Like all menus, it is only available if you choose the Read/Write installation option.)

For example, you can use features from the Edit menu to copy information from one article and paste it into another article. You can also use these features to move information from the American History Explorer database to a word processing application such as Word for Windows. For more information, click Moving Text to Word Processors

The following paragraphs explain each of the options available from this menu. Note that some of the options from this menu are available only if you have selected something in the active window. Others become available only when Edit Mode is selected from the Edit menu.

Undo--Reverses the last editing operation you performed. For example, if you moved a section of text and want to replace it where it was originally, you can use the Undo option. Likewise, if you change text in an article, you can choose Undo to replace it with the original text. This option is available only when Edit Mode is checked.

Cut--Removes the selected text and places it on the Windows Clipboard. This option is available when you have text selected in an article and Edit Mode is checked.

Copy--Places a copy of the selected text from an article on the Windows Clipboard.

Paste--Inserts text from the Clipboard at the current cursor position. This option is only available if you have placed text on the Clipboard and Edit Mode is checked.

Find--Searches within the current article for the word or partial word that you enter.

Repeat Find--Repeats the search within the current article for a word or partial word that you enter.

Select All--Highlights all the text in the current window.

Edit Mode--Allows you to make modifications to the open article. For example, you cannot cut text from, or paste text into, an article until you've placed the article in the edit mode. For details on this menu option, click Editing Articles.

Use Cut and Copy to move text from an article to the Clipboard. Then move the cursor to another section of that article, to a different article or to a word processor and select Paste to insert the text from the Clipboard into the new location.

For more information see:

Summary of Menus

Article Menu

Links Menu

Font Menu

Help Menu


 Links Menu

With an Article window open, the menu bar offers a Links menu which you can use to link or unlink other articles into the open article.

The options available from the Links menu are listed below with a description of their functions.

Back--Open the previous article when viewing a series of linked articles.

Forward--Open the next article when viewing a series of previously viewed linked articles.

(In order to access any of the following features, you must first place the article in the edit mode.)

Link--Establish a "link" or jump between selected text in the open article and another article.

Unlink--Remove the "link" between selected text in the open article and another article.

For more information see:

Linking Articles

Summary of Menus

Article Menu

Edit Menu

Font Menu

Help Menu


 Font Menu

With an Article window open, the menu bar displays a Font menu which you can use to modify the text in articles.

The options available from the Font menu are listed below with a description of their functions.

Font--Open the Font dialog where you can set the font, size, and style of type used to display the text in all articles. A sample of your selections is displayed at the bottom of the dialog box.

Bold--Bolds the selected text (when the article is in the Edit mode).

Italic--Italicizes the selected text (when the article is in the Edit mode).

Underline--Underlines the selected text (when the article is in the Edit mode).

For more information see:

Defining Font Characteristics

Summary of Menus

Article Menu

Edit Menu

Links Menu

Help Menu


 Icon Bar

When you open either an Article window or a Map window, the top of the window displays a row of buttons called an icon bar. If you installed the Read/Write version of the program, a list of menus called the menu bar. appears above the icon bar. (Click on Installation Options for more information.)

You can click on the icon buttons, instead of selecting menu options, to access frequently used American History Explorer features. For example, if you have a Map window open, you can open the Select Map dialog box by clicking the left button on the icon bar rather than choosing Open from the Map menu.

For illustrations of each icon bar and information on the buttons available, click on the appropriate topic below.

Map Window Icon Bar

Article Window Icon Bar

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Menu Bar

Map Item list

Map window

Legend

Articles

Scroll Bars

Status Bar

Toolbox

Minimize Button

Maximize Button


 Selecting Items and Using Buttons

Both the keyboard and mouse movements used in American History Explorer are typical of those found in many software programs. You'll learn keystrokes for specific operations when actually using those features.

If you select the Read/Write installation option, you'll have access to menu bars in the Map windows and Article windows. (Some program functions have shortcut keys listed beside the corresponding menu option on the menu.)

To select an item, do one of the following:

Position the mouse pointer on the option and click.

Use the arrow keys to move the highlight to the item of your choice and press the Enter key or click OK.

Click the mouse at the beginning of the item and hold the mouse button down while you drag the cursor over the item you wish to select.

To select a menu option:

Press Alt plus an option's underlined "pick letter."

Press ONLY the option's underlined pick letter. This applies to menu bar options when the menu bar is active or to submenu options when the submenu is pulled down.

You'll use buttons to choose other program features. For example, buttons can perform actions, complete actions, and open windows to additional program features. They look like buttons on any electronic device. Rather than pressing the button, however, you click on it with your mouse or press the Alt key plus the button's underlined pick letter.

For more information see:

Selecting Map Items

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Smart Picker

Selecting Parts of a Map


 Entering Data

Many American History Explorer dialog boxes display blank spaces, called fields, ready for you to enter information. You'll enter the information much like you would do using any word processor.

When you first access a dialog box, a highlight bar usually appears in the first field. This highlight indicates your current location on the screen. To move the highlight from field to field, use the Tab key or your mouse.

Fields are designed to accept the keyboard characters that you enter. As you start to type characters, a blinking cursor indicates your location within the field. Characters include letters, numbers, punctuation marks, spaces, and other keyboard symbols. Some fields accept any characters, but other fields accept only certain ones.

For more information see:

Data Entry Keys

Deleting Data

Entering New Field Information

Marking Fields

Smart Picker

Using the Windows Clipboard Options

Keyboard Commands

Mouse Operations


 Using Dialog Boxes

Throughout the American History Explorer program, information appears on the screen in dialog boxes. (See the sample below.)

Different types of dialog boxes ask for different responses. Some require you to enter information; others offer buttons you can choose to access other program features. In certain cases, you must respond to a dialog box before you can proceed with program operations.

Many of the American History Explorer dialog boxes that you will encounter are listed here. To learn more about a particular one, click on it.

Edit Map Item Dialog Box

Map Legend Dialog Box

Merge Maps Dialog Box

Place/Names Dialog Box

Print Setup Dialog Box (for maps)

Print Dialog Box (for maps)

Save As Dialog Box (for articles)

Save As Dialog Box (for maps)

Select Article Dialog Box

Select Attributes to Change Dialog Box

Select Background Dialog Box

Link Article Dialog Box

Select Map Dialog Box

Swap Backgrounds Dialog Box

Zoom Map Dialog Box

Search Dialog Box

Select Picture Dialog Box


 Searching for Map Items

Using a Map window's Search menu, you can look for cities, states, regions, events, famous people, geographical features, text, and other miscellaneous items on a map. Any map item included with the American History Explorer program (and those you add yourself) can be the object of your search.

To search for a map item in American History Explorer,

1.	Open the map you want to search (or any map if you don't know where the item is located).

2.	Select Find/Select Items from the Search menu (or click the Search icon on the icon bar). The Place/Names dialog box opens.

3.	Click the Items on Current Map option (if the item you're searching for is on the open map) .

4.	Highlight any item and click the Find button. The program will automatically pinpoint the location of the item on the open map by drawing a box around it.

You can also access a list of items NOT on the current map. Use this list to add a selected item to the current map or click the Map Item List to locate a map that already displays the selected item.

You can obtain additional details about maps and map items by selecting one of the topics below.

Place/Names Dialog

What is on a Map?

Working with Maps

Working with Map Items

For more information see:

Finder

Viewing Articles

Opening a Map


 Viewing Articles

There are several ways you can open an article: from the Source Book icon on the Opening Screen, from an Article window, and from a Map window. Instructions for each method are listed below.

Accessing Articles from the Source Book

To view an article from the Source Book, follow these steps:

1.	Go to the Opening Screen and click on the Source Book icon.

2.	In the Select Article dialog box that appears, select the article you wish to view.

This list contains all articles included with the program and any you've created. You can move to an item quickly by typing its first few letters in the box above the list. To scroll through the list, use the scroll bars or press the down arrow on your keyboard.

3.	Click OK (or press Enter). The selected article opens on screen in a window.

Accessing Primary Documents

"Primary Documents" are articles that contain the full text of selected historic American documents. These include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the Articles of Confederation, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, the inaugural addresses of the first 21 U.S. Presidents, the Privileges and Prerogatives Granted to Christopher Columbus, and more.

These articles are included alphabetically in the Select Article dialog. You can also select "Primary Documents" from this dialog to open an article that lists all the Primary Documents and allows you to access them. In addition, many of the Primary Documents are associated with various maps and can be accessed from those maps by clicking the Document Article icon on the icon bar.

Text from the documents for any article can be copied to the Windows Clipboard for use with your word processor.

Accessing Articles from an Article Window

If you're in an Article window, follow these steps to view another article:

1.	Choose Open from the Article menu or click on the Open Article icon on the icon bar to open the Select Article dialog box.

2.	Follow steps 2 and 3 in the procedure above.

NOTE:  It is not necessary to close the current article before opening a different article; the new article will replace the current article.

Accessing Articles from a Map Window

From a Map window, you can view articles associated with the open map by following these steps:

1.	Select Overview, People, or Document from the Articles menu.

If only one article is associated with the map, that article will appear immediately in an Article window.

If more than one article is associated with the map, you will be presented with a list of articles from which to select.

2.	From the list of articles, select the article you wish to view by double-clicking on the linked (colored) text.

Accessing Map Item Articles

Most of the items on a map (the cities, battles, etc.) are associated with an article. To access the article associated with any map item, double-click on the map item name or icon.

Accessing Articles from a Time Line

With a time line open, you can quickly access any of the Year articles that mark the dates on the time line or any other article that branches off the main time line.

To view a Year article,

1.	Move your cursor over the year on the time line.

2.	When the cursor turns to a hand, click on the date. The Year article for that date opens in an Article window. The Year article will include a list of articles related to the selected year.

3.	From the list of articles, select the article you wish to view by double-clicking on the linked (colored) text.

To view other articles on the time line, click on the appropriate article icon or document icon.

Accessing Linked Articles

Once you have an article open, you can access information about any word that appears in another color within the article by double clicking on it. This will replace the contents of the current Article window with the article for the selected item. For more information on this procedure, click Accessing Linked Articles.

Closing Articles

To close any article, use any of the following methods:

Choose Close from the Article menu.

Click the Close Article icon on the icon bar.

Double-click on the close-menu box in the upper left corner of the Article window.

For more information see:

Editing Articles

Working with Articles

Printing Articles

Time Line Year Articles

Time Lines


 Creating Articles

You can create your own articles and then associate them to a map or to a map item. (You must use the Read/Write installation option to perform these operations.)

To create an article,

1.	Open any Article window. (Click on Viewing Articles, if you need instructions.)

2.	Choose New from the Article menu to open an untitled Article window.

The Article window in Edit mode serves as a simple word processor. Type the information you want to include in your article. For a map overview article, you'll want to provide general background information for the map to which the article will be associated. For a text article to be associated with a map item, you'll want to include more detailed information about the specific person, place or event.

3.	When you're done, choose Save from the Articles menu.

4.	In the Save As dialog that appears, enter a name for your article--up to 60 characters--and click OK (or press Enter).

Your new article is added to the program and will appear in the list of existing articles displayed in the Select Article dialog box that opens when you choose to open an article. You can now associate the article to a map or to a map item. Click Associating Articles with Maps and Associating Articles with Map Items for details on these procedures.

For more information see:

Defining Font Characteristics

Linking Text to an Article

Saving Articles

Printing Articles

Working with Articles


 Editing Articles

You can edit existing articles or those you've created yourself, then save the changes or save the article with a new name (to make a copy).

To edit an article:

1.	Open the desired article.

2.	Choose Edit Mode from the Edit menu. This places the article into the Edit mode. A check mark appears next to the Edit Mode menu option when you enable the Edit mode for the current article. (Later, when you finish, you can disable the Edit mode by reselecting the Edit Mode option.)

3.	Make the desired changes in the article's text as you would edit any document on a word processor. For details on using bold, italics, and underlines to emphasize text, click Defining Font Characteristics.

4.	Choose Save or Save As from the Articles menu to save your changes:

Save--overwrites the previous version of the article.

Save As--opens a Save As dialog where you can enter a new name for the edited article. This allows you to preserve the previous version of the text as well as the edited one. (In other words, you're creating a copy of the original). To save, click OK.

If you try to leave the Edit mode or close the article without saving the article first, the program presents a dialog, asking if you want to save the changes.

For more information see:

Edit menu

Linking Text to an Article

Associating Articles with Maps

Associating Articles with Map Items

Saving Articles

Printing Articles

Working with Articles


 Linking Text to an Article

Links in American History Explorer are ties between one article and another one that may contain related information. Links are marked by text of a different color. While many links exist in the original articles when you receive the program, you may want to add others.

To create a link within an article:

1.	Open the appropriate Article window.

2.	Choose Edit Mode from the Edit menu to activate the Edit mode. If a check mark already appears next to this option on the menu, skip this step.

3.	Highlight the word or words within the article that are to be linked.

4.	Choose Link from the Links menu to open the Link Article dialog box.

The dialog lists all existing articles. If American History Explorer locates an exact match for your selected text, that item is highlighted in the Link Article list. The program will attempt to offer a selection even if no match is found. In either instance, you can accept the offered item or select an alternative.

5.	Highlight the desired item, then click OK to establish the link. Within the article, the selected text now appears in the color of other linked items.

6.	Choose Save or Save As to save the new link.

(Click Saving Articles for details on these options.)

7.	Deactivate the Edit mode by reselecting the Edit Mode option on the Edit menu.

For more information see:

Editing Articles

Associating Articles with Maps

Associating Articles with Map Items

Changing Link Color


 Accessing Linked Articles

Many articles contain "links"--one or more words displayed in a different color to distinguish them from normal text. These words are ties to related articles. Double-click on one of these words to jump to the related article. The related article replaces the original one in the current window.

The related article may have additional links, so you can easily lose track of the original article after viewing other linked articles. To move back and forth between the articles you've viewed, choose Back or Forward from the Links menu (or click on the Previous Linked Article or Next Linked Article icons on the icon bar).

For more information see:

Changing Link Color

Viewing Articles

Working with Articles


 Saving Articles

If you are creating a new article (or modifying an existing one) and wish to save your changes, select Save or Save As from the Article menu.

The Save option allows you to save a new article for the first time and give it a name. This option also allows you to save existing articles under their original name.

The Save As option allows you to make a copy of an article and enter a name for the new article.

To save an article currently active on screen:

1.	Select Save or Save As from the Article menu (whichever is appropriate).

2.	If you're saving an article you created for the first time (or you chose the Save As option), a Save As dialog appears where you can enter a name of up to 60 characters for your article.

If you selected the Save option and have saved the article before, the Save As dialog doesn't appear; your changes are saved automatically, overwriting the previous version of the article.

If you selected the Save option on an article that came with the program, a dialog box notifies you that you may be changing an original article and asks if you want to continue.

If you try to leave the edit mode or close the article without first saving it, the program presents a dialog box, asking if you want to save the changes.

For more information see:

Creating Articles

Editing Articles

Working with Articles


 Printing Articles

You can print any articles included with the program and any you've created yourself.

To print an article:

1.	Open the article (or activate the window in which it is already open by clicking anywhere in that window).

2.	Select Print from the Article menu or click on the Print Article icon on the icon bar.

The article in the currently active window is printed. The article is printed with one inch margins. The program uses the font characteristics currently defined in the Font dialog box. To review or modify those settings, select Font from the Font menu.

For more information see:

Printer Setup

Working with Articles


 Deleting Articles

American History Explorer allows you to delete any articles that you have added to the program. You can NOT delete the articles that are provided with the program.

If you want to delete an article you added to the program,

1.	Open the article that you wish to delete.

2.	Select Edit Mode from the Edit menu.

3.	Select Delete from the Article menu.

A verify dialog appears where you can click OK to permanently delete the current article or click Cancel to cancel the operation.

For more information see:

Working with Articles


 Associating Articles with Maps

All maps included with the program have an associated text article that provides more details about the information depicted on the map.

Likewise, you can create your own articles to supplement the maps you create, or those included with the program. To do this, you will create an article (click Creating Articles for details), then associate that article with the map.

To associate an existing article to a map:

1.	Open the map that you want to associate with your article.

2.	Select Associate Articles to Map from the Articles menu of the Map window. A drop-down menu displays three choices -- Overview, People, and Document.

3.	Click on the appropriate category and select the desired article from the list of existing articles.

You can move to an item in the list quickly by typing its first few letters in the appropriate field above. Use the scroll bars or the down arrow on your keyboard to scroll through the list.

4.	When the desired item is highlighted, click OK (or press Enter) to establish the association.

TIP: To associate more than one People or Document article to a map, simply create one "container" article in which you list all the people or documents you want related to a map, then use the linking feature to connect the articles as needed. (For more information on linking, click the appropriate topic in the list below.)

For more information see:

Opening a Map

Viewing Articles

Associating Articles with Map Items

Linking Text Within an Article

Unlinking Text Within an Article

Working with Articles


 Associating Articles with Map Items

You may want to associate existing articles with map items. For example, you can associate an article you created yourself with an item you added to a map. This allows you to access information about that event at the click of a mouse.

To associate an article with a map item:

1.	Open the appropriate map and select the map item to which the article will be associated. (Just click on the map item.)

2.	Select Edit Items from the Edit menu of the Map window (or click on the Edit Map Item icon on the icon bar).

3.	In the Edit Map Item dialog that appears, click on the down arrow beside the Text Article input field to view a list of available articles.

4.	Highlight the desired article, then click OK to establish the association. The Map window returns.

To check the association to be sure it's enabled, double click on the map item. The appropriate text article should open in an Article window on top of the map.

For more information see:

Associating Articles with Maps

Linking Text to an Article

Unlinking Text Within an Article

Working with Articles


 Opening a Map

To open any of the maps in the program,

1.	Click on the Map Studio icon in the Opening Screen. (Once you have a map open, you can open a different map by clicking the Open Map icon on the icon bar or selecting Open from the Map menu.) This opens the Select Map dialog box.

Initially, the Select Map dialog will list only those maps included with the American History Explorer program. Later, if you've added maps that you create yourself, the names of those maps will appear in the dialog box, too.

2.	Locate the map you wish to open.

Initially, the maps are listed in alphabetical order. However, most maps included with the program are associated with a time period, indicating the era of the map. So, you can choose to sort them by time period order if you like (which will display the appropriate time period followed by the map name). To sort by time period, click on Time Period in the Sort Order preference near the bottom of the dialog box.

(Since more maps are available than can be presented in the dialog window at one time, you may need to use the scroll bar to find the one you want.)

3.	When you've located the map you want, click on it with your mouse to highlight it, then click OK to open it (or, you can simply double-click on the map name to open it).

To select a map using the keyboard, use the arrow keys, PgUp, or PgDn to position the highlight on the name of the map you want to view and press Enter. The selected map opens on screen.

For more information see:

What is on a Map?

Scrolling Through Maps

Working with Maps

Working with Map Items


 What is on a Map?

All maps included with the program contain a variety of information. The following is a list of the items that could display on a map:

A background or geographical outline of the area that the map covers. The background includes the boundaries of map regions and may include topographical details associated with the map.

Map items, such as people, places, and events associated with the map. Map items can be names or symbols (for example, crossed swords are used to designate battle sites). Symbols are defined in the map legend (See next item.) Double-clicking on a map item will open an associated article.

A legend providing a key for the map item symbols, a distance scale, and an elevation scale. This may appear on the map when you first open it. If not, click the Legend icon on the icon bar or choose Display Legend from the Options menu.

Some maps also contain graphics that illustrate historical events. For example, lines are often used to illustrate a journey (depicting the explorations of Ponce de Leon on the Exploration of the U.S. map, for instance).

NOTE:   Additional information may be associated with a map, but not displayed on the map, For example, there may be associated Overview, People, and Document articles or associated slide shows. For information on these features, click on Map Window, Map Icon Bar, and Menu Summary

For more information see:

Scrolling Through Maps

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Working with Maps

Working with Map Items


 Scrolling Through Maps

Many maps are too large to display fully, even in a maximized window. Scroll bars at the bottom and right edges of the Map window provide access to areas hidden from view.

You may find, however, that the scrolling procedure on a Map window may be somewhat slower than normal. This is because only a portion of the map loads into memory when you first open the map. (This is done to conserve memory.) As you scroll, the program is loading more of the map into memory in order to display the new areas of the map, resulting in a slight delay.

Depending on the amount of memory you have available, you may notice that scrolling is faster when you scroll back to areas of the map you've already viewed. This is because these areas of the map have already been loaded into memory and do not need reloading.

You can adjust the scrolling speed to a certain extent by modifying the Scroll Units setting. Click on Settings Dialog Box for more information.

For more information see:

What is on a Map?


 Editing the Map Legend

American History Explorer has a map legend feature you can use to clarify the information contained on a map. Every map has a legend, even a new map you are creating.

To display the legend for a map, open the desired map and select Display Legend from the Options menu or click on the Legend icon. The appropriate map legend appears on the map within the Map window.

Most maps included with the program already have a map legend with legend items for events depicted on the map. If you're creating a new map, only the distance scale and the elevation scale (if your map background is topographical) appear; you will need to enter your own legend items.

If you chose the Read/Write installation option, you can change the items on a map legend and modify the display options from the Map Legend dialog. To access this dialog box, select Edit Legend from the Edit menu of a Map window. This dialog also allows you to create legends for your own user-defined maps.

For details on using this dialog, click Map Legend Dialog Box.

The check boxes at the top of the Map Legend dialog allow you to enable and disable the available display options for the current map's legend. The Print map name option allows you to print the name of the map on the legend when you print the map.

The eight boxes that appear in the Legend Items section of the dialog allow you to specify icons and text labels you want to appear on the legend and to specify how you want them to look. You can hide the icon if you don't want it displayed by checking the Hide the icon check box (in case you want only text on the legend, for example). Notice that when you enter information in a Legend Items box, an example of how the item will appear on the actual legend appears at the bottom of the Map Legend dialog.

Saving Maps with Legends/Closing the Legend

If you want the legend to display automatically each time you open a particular map, just save the map with the legend displayed. The next time you open the map, the legend appears automatically. Likewise, if you don't want the legend to display when you open a particular map, close the legend and save the map.

To close the legend, double click on the Control-menu box icon in the upper left corner of the legend window, click on the Legend icon, or select Display Legend from the Options menu to remove the check mark from the Display Legend option.

For details on saving maps, click Saving a Map.

For more information see:

Working with Maps


 Measuring Distance on a Map

American History Explorer has a distance measurement feature you can use to calculate the distance between two or more points on a map.

Measuring Distance Between Map Locations

To measure a distance,

1.	Activate the arrow cursor by clicking on it on the icon bar.

2.	Position the cursor at the desired starting point.

3.	Click and hold the left mouse button as you drag the cursor to any other location on the map. Or, you can hold the Ctrl key down as you click on various map items to display the distance between all of the selected items.

The distance continuously updates and displays on the status bar. A line from your starting point to the current position of the mouse cursor helps you track your movements. When you release the mouse button, the line disappears and the distance from your starting point to the last location remains displayed on the status bar until you select another item.

Measuring Distance to a Hidden Location

You can also measure distances to map locations not initially displayed on the screen. Click the first location, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the cursor in the direction of the hidden location. When you reach the edge of the map, let the mouse cursor gently "bump" the edge of the Map window until the desired location is visible. Continue on until the cursor is positioned on the end location and release.

Measuring Distance with the Place/Names Dialog

You can also measure the distance between two places in the Place/Names dialog. To do so:

1.	Open the Place/Names dialog by clicking the Search icon (or choose Find/Select items from the Search menu).

2.	Highlight two or more items on the dialog by clicking on the first item, then pressing the Ctrl button while clicking on other items. The cumulative distance will be displayed on the status bar of the Map window.

For more information see:

What is on a Map?

Scrolling Through Maps

Working with Maps

Working with Map Items


 Zooming In and Out on a Map

American History Explorer allows you to zoom in on a smaller area of the map or to zoom out to view more, or all, of the map from a greater distance. Zooming out can reduce the need to scroll. Zoom works with all American History Explorer maps.

To zoom, either in or out, choose Zoom Map from the Options menu or click the Zoom button on the icon bar. The Zoom Map dialog opens on screen. The current zoom level is displayed near the right center of the box. You can adjust the zoom level by:

Typing a value directly into the Set Level field.

Using the Zoom In/Zoom Out scroll bar on the left side of the box.

You can set values from 0.25 (zoomed out to reveal the largest area of the map) to 1.5 (zoomed in to show the smallest area). When you're satisfied with the setting, click OK. Depending upon your computer system and the degree of change, the modification may take several moments to implement.

NOTE:  If you zoom your map out to such a degree that any text on it would be impossible to read, the text may not display at all. Do not be concerned. The information has not been deleted and will reappear when you zoom back.)

Zooming a Selected Map Area

You can also zoom a selected area of a map to examine it in greater detail. For details on this procedure, click Zooming a Selected Map Area.

For more information see:

What is on a Map?

Scrolling Through Maps

Working with Maps

Working with Map Items


 Zooming a Selected Map Area

American History Explorer allows you to zoom in on a specific area of a map, rather than the whole map.

To zoom a selected area,

1.	Select the area you want to zoom with the pointer cursor, using the RIGHT mouse button. (Click Selecting Parts of a Map for details.)

2.	Click on the Zoom icon on the icon bar or select Zoom from the Options menu. The zoomed area appears within the active Map window.

The program will attempt to zoom the selected area so that it fills the current window. The program may adjust the zoom level to accommodate this (up to the maximum zoom level of 1.5). To restore the rest of the map, zoom back out by reducing the zoom level on the Zoom Map dialog (accessed by clicking the Zoom icon or selecting Zoom from the Options menu).

For more information see:

Zooming In and Out on a Map

Copying Maps to the Windows Clipboard

Saving Maps

Printing Maps

Working with Maps


 Working with Map Items

The 93 maps included with American History Explorer feature map items to supplement your understanding of the map. These map items, such as cities, famous battles, etc. can be located, moved, modified, added to, and deleted from maps.

Click any of the topics below for more information on performing these functions.

Accessing Information about Map Items

Adding Map Items

Selecting Map Items

Moving Map Items

Editing Map Items

Deleting Map Items

Finding Map Items

Associating Articles with Map Items


 Changing the Map Background

If you want to change the background of your map (to use modern state boundaries instead of topography, for example), you can select the background you want from a list of predefined background maps (assuming you chose the Read/Write installation option).

To change the background for a map currently active on screen,

1.	Select Swap Backgrounds from the Edit menu. The Swap Backgrounds dialog appears. Notice that the background currently being used is displayed at the top of the dialog. In the middle of the dialog, a list of the available background maps is displayed.

2.	Click on the desired background map on the list or type the first few characters of the map's name in the box above the list to locate a specific map.

3.	Click OK (or press Enter) to replace the old background with the newly selected background. The program rearranges the map items accordingly and the result appears on screen.

NOTE: If you swap in a completely different type of background (rather than just swapping in another version of the same background), you may not be able to see all of the map items and graphics if they extend beyond the boundaries of the new map background. Items may appear larger or smaller than they did on the original map and may overlap, depending on whether or not the new map background covers more or less area than the original.

For more information see:

Background Maps

Saving Maps

Working with Maps

Working with Map Items


 Creating a Map

American History Explorer includes 93 maps for a variety of uses and applications. The maps included with the program come complete with text and notations. In addition background maps have also been provided. These are outlines of a particular geographical region. You can use these backgrounds as a base for creating your own maps.

Backgrounds are available with and without topographical features.

One easy way to create a map is to open an existing map and modify it to suit your needs. But, you can also start from scratch. To do so,

1.	Select New from the Map menu. The Select Background dialog box opens.

2.	Choose the desired background from the dialog.

Whether you're modifying an existing map or starting from scratch, you can add map items, display and modify the map legend, and add graphics to create a map that fits your objectives precisely. Information about each of these functions (and more) is included in the following topics.

Background Maps

Adding Map Items

Selecting Map Items

Moving Map Items

Editing Map Items

Deleting Map Items

Changing the Map Background

Editing the Map Legend

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Opening a Map

Saving Maps

Working with Maps

Working with Map Items


 Saving a Map

After you've finished modifying or creating your map, you can save it to view it again later.

To save a map currently active on-screen:

1.	Select Save from the Map menu.

2.	If you're saving a user-defined map for the first time, a Save As dialog appears where you can enter a name of up to 60 characters for your map. You can also enter a date to indicate the time period of the map if you like. This date is used for sorting maps chronologically in the Select Map dialog.

The program recognizes standard month abbreviations as well as most standard date abbreviating formats (for example, 7/4/1776; or July 4, 1776; or 7-4-1776); however, you must enter all four digits of the year (1776, not '76). Maps covering a range of dates are sorted chronologically.

If you're saving an original map included with the program, a warning dialog appears indicating that you are about to override original reference material. Click Yes to continue (which will replace the existing map with the changed version) or click No to cancel the selection. Select Save As from the Map menu to save the changed map under a new name (leaving the existing map unchanged).

When you save a map, the program remembers the current scroll position so that next time you open the map, the map is positioned as it was when you last saved it. If you have the legend displayed when you save the map, it will automatically be displayed the next time you open the map.

For more information see:

Copying Maps

Printing Maps

Working with Maps


 Copying Maps

If you want to create a copy of a map, use the following procedures:

1.	Open the map you want to copy.

2.	Select Save As from the Map menu. A Save As dialog appears where you can enter a new name (up to 60 characters) and date for the map. After you've entered a new name and date, click OK to make a copy of the map under the new name you entered.

You might want to use this feature if you intend to make changes to an original map and want to make sure your changes do not affect the original.

For more information see:

Copying Maps to the Windows Clipboard

Saving a Map

Merging Maps

Printing Maps

Working with Maps


 Deleting Maps

American History Explorer allows you to delete any maps that you have added to the program. You can NOT delete the maps that are provided with the program.

If you want to delete a map that you've added to the program, follow these steps:

1.	Open the map that you wish to delete.

2.	Select Delete from the Map menu.

3.	A verify dialog appears where you can click Yes to permanently delete the current map or click No to cancel the operation.

For more information see:

Working with Maps


 Merging Maps

If you want to combine two maps, you can use the Merge Maps feature on the Edit menu of a Map window. Simply open a map and then merge items from a selected map into the current map.

For example, you can open the map Native American Culture Areas that shows the location of various tribes and merge it with the Arteries of the Nation, Pony Express map to see the location of various tribes in relation to the Pony Express route. To do this,

1.	Open your first map (Native American Culture Areas, for our example). If you need assistance, click Opening Maps.

2.	Select Merge Maps from the Edit menu. The Merge Maps dialog appears.

3.	Select your second map (Arteries of the Nation, Pony Express, for our example).

4.	Click OK (or press Enter). All of the map items from the second map appear on the first map. (In our example, the items from the Pony Express map appear on the Native American Culture Areas map.)

NOTE: When merging, if not all of the selected map's items appear on the current map, it may be because they fall outside the boundaries of the map. (However, they are still part of the map and they will appear as items on the map on the Place/Names dialog.) Merged items may appear larger or smaller than they did on the original map and may overlap items on the current map.

For more information see:

Saving Maps

Copying Maps

Printing Maps

Working with Maps


 Printing Maps

You can print any maps you've created or any included with the program. If you have a color printer, you can even print out American History Explorer maps in full color. The following instructions outline how to print a map.

1.	Open the desired map.

2.	Select Print from the Map menu or click on the Print Map icon.

3.	On the Print dialog that appears, define the following:

Area to be printed (selected rectangle, current window, or entire map).

The top, bottom, left, and right margins.

Print style (gray scale, black and white, or color).

You can also specify whether or not you want the events depicted on the current map to be printed. To print any events shown on the current map, use the spacebar or your mouse to check the Print event markers check box at the bottom of the Print dialog. Leave this box unchecked if you do not want events printed on the map.

4.	When done, click Print to print the map as indicated.

Printing the Map Name on the Legend

The map name will print on the map legend whenever you print legends on your maps if the Print map name check box in the Map Legend dialog is checked. To disable this feature, select Edit Legend from the Edit menu and use the spacebar or your mouse to uncheck the Print map name check box at the top of the Map Legend dialog.

Scaling the Legend

When printing maps with legends, the program will attempt to scale the map legend based on the print options you've selected. If, however, the legend would be too small if scaled as specified (the print would be illegible, for example), a message will appear indicating the program cannot print the map. Likewise, if the legend would be too big if scaled as specified (the legend would take up most of the map, for example), a similar message will appear. In either case, the message will allow you to continue printing without the legend or to cancel the print operation.

For more information see:

Printer Setup

Selecting Portions of a Map

Working with Maps


 Closing a Map

There are three ways to close a map currently active on screen:

Select Close from the Map menu.

Click on the Close Map icon on the icon bar.

Double-click on the control-menu box in the upper left corner of the Map window.

For more information see:

Working with Maps


 Accessing Information about Map Items

To access the article for a specific item on a map, double click on the item of interest. An Article window opens on top of the current Map window, displaying information relating to that item.

Some words in the article may appear in another color. These are "links" to other articles contained in the program. Links are ties between one article and another one that may contain related information. To review information for a particular word or phrase, double click on the colored text. The new article replaces the previous one within the Article window.

Click Accessing Linked Articles for details on using associations.

To close an article, choose Close from the Article menu in the Article window or click on the Close Article icon on the icon bar.

For more information see:

Working with Maps

Working with Map Items

Working with Articles


 Adding Map Items

Whether you're modifying an existing map or creating your own, you may want to add cities regions, rivers, events, or other items to your map.

The easiest way to add map items is to select from among the list of existing map items included with the program. You can also create your own map items if you like. Click the appropriate topic below for more information on selecting items to add to a map and creating your own map items.

For more information see:

Selecting Items to Add to a Map

Creating Your Own Map Items

Creating a Map

Working with Map Items

Working with Maps


 Selecting Map Items

You can select a group of map items on a map to edit them simultaneously. For example, if you want to change the color for all the cities on the map, you first need to select the cities.

There are two ways you can select multiple items:

On the map

Using the Place/Names dialog

Selecting Items on a Map

To select a group of map items on a map:

1.	Open a map.

2.	Activate the arrow cursor by clicking on the Arrow Cursor icon on the icon bar.

3.	Press and hold the Ctrl key as you click on each map item you want to select with your mouse.

4.	With the appropriate items selected, you are now ready to edit or delete them as needed.

Click Editing Map Items or Deleting Map Items for details.

Selecting Items Using the Place/Names Dialog

To select a group of map items using the Place/Names dialog:

1.	Open a map.

2.	Choose Find/Select Items from the Search menu or click on the Search icon on the icon bar. The Place/Names dialog appears.

3.	From the list of items on the map, highlight the map items you want to select.

To select items individually, press and hold the Ctrl key as you click on each item.

To select several items in a row, click on the first item, then press and hold the Shift key as you click on the last item; all the items in the specified block are selected.

You can limit the types of map items displayed on the list by cities, regions, etc. to make selecting items easier. Use the check boxes in the lower, right corner of the dialog.

4.	With the appropriate items selected, you can edit or delete them as needed.

Click Editing Map Items or Deleting Map Items for details.

For more information see:

Working with Map Items

Working with Maps


 Moving Map Items

When editing a map (or creating a new one), you may want to move map items to a different location or just make a few minor adjustments. For example, if you modify the zoom level for a map, the city names may have to be moved slightly to make them easier to read.

To move a map item within an open Map window:

1.	Click on the Hand Cursor on the icon bar (or choose Move Items from the Edit menu to activate the hand cursor).

2.	Position the hand cursor's extended index finger on the item you wish to move (a city name or icon, for example).

3.	Click and hold the left mouse button to select the item. (Note that if the item selected has an icon, both the name and the icon are selected.)

4.	Drag the item to the desired location and release the mouse button. The program will reposition the item as indicated. For example, if you moved a city's icon, both the icon and the name are repositioned. If you moved the city's name, only the name is adjusted (the icon is unchanged).

NOTE: If you move an icon, a Message dialog appears asking you if you want this change to affect all maps on which the item appears. Click Yes to make a global change affecting all maps or click No to change the item on the current map only. To cancel the operation (and leave the icon where it was originally), click Cancel. If you select Yes, the item will be modified on all maps, regardless of whether or not you save the current map.

For more information see:

Working with Map Items

Working with Maps


 Editing Map Items

When modifying a map, you may occasionally need to edit or delete map items. You can edit/delete items individually or select a group of items to edit or delete. For example, you can move a city's name or you can change the font color for all cities on a map. In order to modify the font color for all cities on a map, you must first select all the cities. You can do this by holding the Ctrl key as you click on each city or using the Place/Names dialog.

To edit one or more map items:

1.	Select the item (or items) you wish to edit.

To select one item, click on it with your mouse. For details on selecting multiple map items, click Selecting Map Items.

2.	Click on the Edit Map Item icon on the icon bar (or select Edit Items from the Edit menu of the Map window). The Edit Map Item dialog appears.

(Note that if you are editing several map items at once, nothing appears in the Name field on this dialog. Additionally, other fields may be blank if the items selected do not have the same display attributes.)

3.	Make the appropriate modifications. For information about the fields contained on the dialog, click Edit Map Item Dialog.

This Edit Map Item dialog functions the same as the Edit Map Item dialog you see when you are adding a new map item. However, an additional check box appears at the bottom of the dialog. The Change item(s) on all maps check box allows you to indicate whether or not the changes made should be global (thus, affecting all maps on which the selected item appears). Leave this check box blank to change the current map only. Use the spacebar or your mouse to check the box if you want to make a global change.

4.	When done, click OK to save your changes.

If you did not check the Change Item(s) on All Maps check box on the Edit Map Item dialog, you will return to the Map window immediately. If you made a cosmetic change affecting how the map looks, you will immediately be able to see your modification(s). If you changed the text article attached to the map item, you will need to access the text article by double clicking on the map item to see your change.

If you checked the Change Item(s) on All Maps check box, a Select Attributes to Change dialog appears. This dialog outlines the types of modifications you made (name, font, icon, text article, etc.) and gives you an opportunity to select the items you want changed. Each area you have changed is automatically selected by default; you can deselect the items you don't want changed. When you've selected all appropriate items, click OK to update all maps and return to the Map window.

If you are modifying an original map included with the program, a message dialog appears prompting you to verify your selection. Click YES to proceed or NO to cancel the global change (so only the current map is modified).

For more information see:

Selecting Multiple Map Items

Moving Map Items

Deleting Map Items

Saving Maps

Working with Map Items

Working with Maps


 Deleting Map Items

While creating or editing a map, you may want to delete one or more items. To do this:

1.	Select the item or items you wish to delete.

To select one item, click on it with your mouse. For details on selecting multiple map items, click Selecting Multiple Map Items.

2.	Choose Delete Items from the Edit menu. The selected items are removed from the current map.

You can also remove items from your system entirely (if you used the Read/Write installation option). Such items will no longer appear in the Place/Names dialog.

WARNING:  You cannot undo this type of deletion. Once you have removed an item from the system, the only way to bring that item back is by reinstalling American History Explorer or replacing it manually.

To delete an item from your system entirely,

1.	Choose Find/Select Items from the Search menu or click on the Search icon. The Place/Names dialog opens.

2.	Close the current map.

3.	Select the item(s) you want to remove from the system and click the Delete button at the bottom of the dialog box.

For more information see:

Selecting Multiple Map Items

Moving Map Items

Working with Map Items

Working with Maps


 Finding Map Items

American History Explorer offers a quick method to locate map items on an open map. The key is using the Search menu.

To find an item on the current map,

1.	Choose Find/Select Items from the Search menu (or click the Search icon on the icon bar).The Place/Names dialog opens.

2.	Click on the Items On Current Map option to display a list of map items that appear on the current map.

3.	Mark the categories of items you want to list (cities, states, etc.).

4.	Highlight the item(s) of interest on the map item list and click the Find button.

American History Explorer will automatically find your item and outline it on the map. The map will adjust to display the selected item in the Map window. You may need to move, size, or close the Place/Name dialog to see the item.

The Place/Names dialog remains open, ready for you to Find or Add other items. If you've completed your work, click on the Close button to close the dialog.

For more information see:

Limiting Categories

Selecting Items from the Map Item List

Selecting Items to Add to a Map

Using the Map List Button

Performing a Search

Working with Map Items

Working with Maps


 Accessing Pictures

The more than 1,000 pictures in American History Explorer can be accessed from several locations in the program.

Viewing Pictures

If you just want to view a picture,

1.	Click on the Picture Album icon on the Opening Screen. A Select Picture dialog box will open.

2.	Select the picture you want to view and double-click on it to see it displayed on screen. (You can also highlight the picture and then click OK or press Enter on the keyboard.)

3.	When you're done, double-click the Control-menu box or press Esc on the keyboard to close the picture and return to the Opening Screen.

Viewing Pictures from an Article

Many of the pictures in American History Explorer are used to illustrate articles and can be accessed directly from an Article window. To view a picture related to an article,

1.	From the Article window, double-click on the picture icon [image]. The picture opens immediately in its own window.

2.	When you're done viewing the picture, double-click the Control-menu box (or press Esc on the keyboard) to close the picture and return to the Article window.

For more information, see:

Viewing 3D Images

Playing Movies and Slide Shows


 Viewing 3D Images

American History Explorer includes a gallery of 3D images. These double or "stereo" images are similar to those used by early Americans decades ago. The double illustrations were printed on cards and clipped to a "stereo" viewer so a person could trick his eyes into seeing a three-dimensional image. The effect is almost like being there!

To access these images,

1.	Click on the 3D Gallery icon on the Opening Screen.

2.	Select the picture you want to view and double-click on it to see it displayed on screen. (You can also highlight the picture and then click OK or press Enter on the keyboard.)

3.	When you're done, double-click the Control-menu box or press Esc on the keyboard to close the picture and return to the Opening Screen.

Once you have a 3D image displayed on screen, there are two ways you can view it: using the special glasses included in the American History Explorer package, or simply "free" viewing. For detailed instructions, click on the appropriate topic below. To see a good "practice" 3D image, refer to Page 9 in your Information Guide.

Viewing 3D Images with Glasses

Free Viewing 3D Images


 Accessing Videos

The videos in American History Explorer can be accessed from the Movie Theater on the Opening Screen or from a time line.

To start a video from the Movie Theater,

1.	Click on the Movie Theater icon on the Opening Screen.

2.	Click on the video you wish to view. (Titles displayed below each video will help you choose which one you want.)The program will begin the video.

To start a video from a time line,

Click any video icon (displayed at the top of the time line screen. The program will begin the video.

For more information, see:

Adjusting Program Volume

Stopping Videos


 Accessing Slide Shows

The slide shows in American History Explorer can be accessed from the Slide Shows icon on the Opening Screen, from the Hall of Presidents, or from a Map window.

To start a slide show from the Opening Screen,

1.	Click on the Slide Shows icon on the Opening Screen. The Select Slide Show dialog box appears.

2.	Find the slide show you wish to view (use the scroll bar, if necessary) and select it.

3.	With the preferred slide show highlighted, click OK or press Enter on your keyboard. The program will begin the slide show.

(In place of steps 2 and 3, you can simply double-click on the preferred slide show.)

To start a slide show from a Map window,

1.	Click the Slide Show icon on the icon bar. The slide show associated with the open map will begin to play.

For more information, see:

Adjusting Program Volume

Slide Show Controls


 Stopping Videos

To stop a video before it is finished, click in the area immediately outside the viewing screen.

To stop a video and return to the previous screen, click the curl at the bottom right corner of the Movie Theater window.

For more information, see:

Adjusting Program Volume


 Operating Slide Show Controls

You can rewind, stop, play, and fast forward an American History Explorer slide show as you view it. The control bar, displayed at the bottom of the slide window, operates the same as controls for tape players.

Click on any part of the illustration below for further information.

NOTE:  To exit the slide show without viewing the entire show, double-click the Control-menu box.

For more information, see:

Adjusting Program Volume


 Opening the Song Book

The Song Book, available from the Opening Screen, plays music related to the Colonial and Civil War eras of American history.

To listen to a tune,

1.	Click on the Song Book icon on the Opening Screen. The song list screen appears.

2.	Click on any song. The program will begin playing the selected song.

Exiting the Song

You can continue to work with American History Explorer while the song is being played. Just click the curl on the corner of the screen to exit the feature. You can work with most other program features while the song continues to play.

NOTE:  Because songs in the Song Book are recorded in stereo, a stereo sound card is required for this feature.

For more information, see:

Adjusting Program Volume

About the Musicians


 Rules for Playing 5Ws

The 5Ws Game is a quick way to test your knowledge of information included in the American History Explorer. Following is information on playing the game.

Game Selections

Select play for one or two players.

Select game length:

5 questions - each player receives five questions

10  questions - each player receives ten questions

Ask until player quits - game ends when player selects Quit

Scoring Points

Players receive 100 points for selecting a correct answer on the first try, 75 points on the second try, and so on.

For each hint given, 10 points are deducted from the potential 100 points. Note that if research is done before asking for a hint, no points are deducted.

Playing the Game

To play the 5Ws Game,

1.	Click Begin.

Player 1 is asked the first multiple choice question. Questions are randomly selected from a database of over 400 questions.

2.	Player 1 can choose an answer, ask for a hint, or pass. By passing, the player gives up the chance to receive any points on that question.

USING HINTS:  If a player selects an incorrect answer, hints are automatically provided. Clicking on any of the icons to the left of a hint will bring up the map, article, or slide show that the player can research for the answer. Once the player is finished researching, he or she can return to the game to choose another answer. Previously selected answers and hints are dimmed to track the player's choices.

3.	After Player 1 selects the correct answer or passes, Player 2 takes a turn (assuming the game is in Two Player mode). The red ball indicates whose turn it is.

4.	The game ends when five or ten questions have been asked or when the player(s) decide to quit.

5.	The final score is presented and the winner acknowledged.

For more information, see:

Working with Articles

Working with Maps

Slide Shows

Time Lines


 Opening a Time Line

To open a time line,

1.	Click the Time Trek icon on the Opening Screen.

A row of blocks, depicting different time periods is presented on screen.

2.	Select a time line period by clicking on the title or icon block that you wish to view.

The program presents the time line on screen.

For more information, see:

Tips on Scrolling

Exiting a Time Line

Accessing Items from a Time Line


 Tips on Scrolling

When working with scrolling screens, such as time lines and the Hall of Presidents, you can scroll to undisplayed portions of the screen.

To scroll left and right,

1.	Move the cursor to the left or right edge of the screen until it turns to a solid arrow cursor.

2.	Click the left mouse button and hold it down as you continue to bump the edge of the screen. The program will scroll horizontally to display more of the screen.

NOTE:  When using the Compare Presidents feature, you move backward (to the left side of the screen) by clicking on the right side of the first, fixed column (of presidents' names), rather than the left edge of the screen.

For more information, see:

Opening a Time Line

Exiting a Time Line

Accessing Items from a Time Line


 Accessing Items on a Time Line

Once you have a time line open, you can use it by simply scrolling through and viewing the titles of items along the time line, or you can explore a little deeper by actually accessing the items represented.

To access a Year article, other article, document, map, presidential profile, or video on a time line,

Click on the appropriate icon (or any date on the line for a Year article). The selected item will open.

For more information, see:

Time Line Year Articles

Tips on Scrolling

Exiting a Time Line

Opening a Time Line


 Exiting a Time Line

To exit a time line,

Click the curl in the top right corner of the screen. You will be returned to the Time Trek cubes.

For more information, see:

Tips on Scrolling

Opening a Time Line

Accessing Items from a Time Line


 Print Setup

American History Explorer gives you the option to print maps and articles.

The program provides separate printer setup dialogs for maps and articles. This allows you to set your printer to print your maps in landscape mode (horizontal) and your articles in portrait mode (vertical), if you wish. With these as default settings, you don't have change the print setup every time you change what you're printing.

Both of these printer setup procedures are exactly the same; only the option you choose from the menu to perform the setup varies.

To define the print settings for maps, click the Print Map icon on the icon bar (or you can select Print Setup from the Map menu if you used the Read/Write installation option).

To define print settings for articles, click the Print Article icon on the icon bar (or you can select Print Setup from the Article menu if you used the Read/Write installation option).

When you select any of these options, the Print Setup dialog appears. Here you can select the desired printer, page orientation, and paper size/source.

Depending on the printer you are using, an additional Options button may appear on the Print Setup dialog. The Options button allows you to modify a variety of print options unique to the selected printer. The options that appear will vary depending on the printer you are using. See your Windows manual for more information on print options.

For more information see:

Print Setup Dialog Box

Printing Maps

Printing Articles


 Setting Fonts

When you select Font from the Font menu, or click the Font icon in an Article window, a Font Dialog Box is displayed. This box allows you to select the Font, Font Style, and Size of type for text that appears in your articles. Select the characteristics you want, then click OK. Any changes you make affect all articles.

You can select only one font at a time, so if you want to vary text within an article, you'll have to use text styles (Bold, Italic, Underline).

For more information see:

Font Characteristics

Working with Articles


 Menu Bar

If you selected the Read/Write installation when setting up American History Explorer, both the Map windows and Article windows will include a horizontal list of menu options along the top of their screens.

When you select any of these options, a pull-down menu appears listing choices. These pull-down menus provide easy access to program features.

You can access the menu bar menus using your keyboard or a mouse. To select a Main Menu option using your keyboard, press the Alt key plus the menu's underlined pick letter. To select a Main Menu option with your mouse, simply click on the desired option.

Menu bars are only available from the Map windows and Article windows.

For more information see:

Summary of Menu Options

Screen Elements

Icon Bar

Map Window

Article Window


 Map Window

Whenever you open a new or existing map in American History Explorer, the map appears inside an active Map window.

Moving and Resizing a Map Window

You can change the size and location of the window like any other window within a Microsoft Windows application. (For example, just point to any corner or border, and when the cursor changes to a two-headed arrow, drag the corner or border until the window is the size you want. You can also click on the title bar and hold down the mouse button to drag the entire window to another position on the screen.)

When you move or resize the entire Map window, the map and its items adjust accordingly. In some cases, you may need to use the scroll bars on the sides of the window to view the entire map contents. See your Windows User's Guide for instructions on moving and resizing windows.

You can also open more than one window at a time. For example, while you have a Map window open, you can open an Article window. However, you can NOT open more than one Map window at the same time.

Below is an illustration of the Map window. Click on any part of it for more information.

Closing a Map Window

To close a map and its Map window, do one of the following:

Select Close from the Map menu.

Click on the Close Map icon on the icon bar.

Double-click on the Control-menu box in the upper left corner of the Map window.

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Icon Bar

Article Window

Scroll Bars


 Legends

American History Explorer has a map legend feature you can use to clarify the information contained on a map. You can display the legend even with new maps. Below is an illustration of a map legend.

A map legend can illustrate the following:

Map events--the historical events depicted on a map. (Map events are defined by the user in the Map Legend dialog box. To open the dialog, select Edit Legend from the Edit menu.)

Distance scale--the scale factor for the map's background. The increments on the distance scale will vary depending on the map's background and the zoom level you currently have selected.

Elevation scale--a key for the elevation scheme used on a map (this is preset for you and only appears for topographic maps).

For more information see:

Editing Legends

Screen Elements

Map window


 Scroll Bars

Like most Windows applications, American History Explorer contains some windows with scroll bars you can use to view additional information that does not fit on the screen. You can use the arrow buttons to move one line at a time or click and hold an arrow button to scroll continuously. You can also click and drag the box on the scroll bar to move to another location within the window. Click above or below the box on the scroll bar to jump about one screen.

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Icon Bar

Map Window

Article Window

Scrolling Through Maps

Menu Bar


 Status Bar

The status bar appears at the very bottom of the Map windows. The status bar displays important information as you work with the program.

In the Map window, it has three segments: a help/information segment on the left, a distance meter in the center, and a latitude/longitude indicator on the right.

The help/information segment contains hints for operating the program, information on menu options, and important messages at certain program locations.

The distance meter displays the distance between two or more points when you use the distance measurement feature. (For details on this feature, click on Measuring Distance on a Map.

The latitude/longitude indicator reflects the current location of the cursor (such as a selected city, for example).

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Settings Dialog Box

Icon Bar

Map Window

Article Window

Scroll Bars


 Toolbox

The Toolbox allows you to add graphics to any American History Explorer map. You can draw lines, circles, squares, and other shapes, specifying the size and color of each to suit your needs. The Toolbox also allows you to move, resize, copy, and delete graphics.

You can access the Toolbox from any Map window by selecting the Graphic Tools option on the Edit menu (or by clicking the Toolbox icon on the icon bar).

The buttons on the top of the Toolbox allow you to select the type of line or shape you want to create. You can select the arrow and hand cursors from the Toolbox as well. The arrow cursor allows you to draw lines and shapes, resize graphics, and select graphics. The hand cursor allows you to select and move graphics.

Other options on the Toolbox allow you to select the colors and line width for your lines and fill patterns and colors for shapes. If you have graphics that overlap, you can choose which item to place on top. You also have the option to copy, save, and move any map graphics.

Click on any part of the illustration below for a description of its function.

For more information on using the Toolbox to create graphics, click Inserting Graphics into a Map.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Desktop Window

The American History Explorer desktop may contain one or more windows. For example, you may have one article, one map, one picture, and a Search dialog box open on your desktop at the same time.

You cannot have multiple windows of any single feature. For example, you cannot have two maps open at the same time.

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Icon Bar

Map Window

Article Window

Scroll Bars


 Minimize Button

This button displays a small down arrow and is located second from the right in the upper right corner of any Map window, Article window, and on pictures and 3D images.

Clicking on the Minimize button reduces the current map, article, or picture to an icon on the American History Explorer desktop.

To restore the map, article, or picture, you can double-click on the icon (or click once on the icon and select the Maximize or Restore from the control-menu box to do this.)

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Settings Dialog Box

Icon Bar

Map Window

Article Window

Scroll Bars


 Maximize Button

This button displays a small up arrow and is located in the far, upper right corner of any Map or Article window. Clicking on this button increases the size of the map or article so that is covers the whole American History Explorer desktop area.

Whenever a map or an article is maximized, the Maximize button changes to an up and down arrow symbol. You can click on this icon to return the window to its previous size.

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Settings Dialog Box

Icon Bar

Map Window

Article Window

Scroll Bars


 Installation Options

During the installation of American History Explorer, you'll be given a choice of operating the program in a Read Only Version or a Read/Write Version. To switch between these options, you can re-install the program at any time. Following is an outline of the differences between the two options.

Read Only Version

This version is designed for those with precious little hard drive space (it requires approximately 2 megabytes) and who only want to refer to the information. With this version, you can open, close, and print maps and articles or view the slide shows and videos, but you can NOT make changes to any items. This "noneditable" version leaves all the data files on the CD ROM and will probably run slightly slower on certain features.

With this version, your Map windows and Article windows do not display a menu bar. In addition four icon bar buttons in the Map window are not available. The omitted buttons are Arrow Cursor, Hand Cursor, Edit Map Item, and Edit or Create Map Graphics.

Read/Write Version

This version is designed for maximum interaction and most users to combine information from several sources to write a report or edit a map. With this version, you can write new articles and design your own maps, you can cut and paste information from one place to another, you can change or delete items. This "editable" version copies all the data files from the CD to your hard drive (requires approximately 9 megabytes) and will probably run slightly faster on certain features.

For more information see:

Basic Information


 Map Item List

For a list of all cities, regions, events, geographical features, people, and other miscellaneous map items available in American History Explorer, use the Map Item List, available in the Place/Names dialog box.

Access this dialog by selecting Find/Select Items from the Search menu or by clicking the Search icon on the icon bar of any Map window.

You can elect to display either a list of the specific items that appear on the current map or a list of all the program's items that do NOT appear on the current map.

To select which list you want to see, click on Items On Current Map or Items In Database But NOT On Current Map, as is appropriate.

From the Place/Names dialog box you can use the Map Item List to:

Review a list of items on the current map.

Review a list of items NOT on the current map.

Add items to the current map.

Find an item on the current map.

Access a list of maps containing a selected place or name.

Permanently delete places and names from the American History Explorer database (with Read/Write installation option only).

For more information on the options available for this dialog, click the appropriate topic below.

Limiting Categories

Selecting Items from the Map Item List

Selecting Items to Add to a Map

Finding an Item on the Current Map

Using the Map List Button


 Copying Articles

To copy the open article,

1.	Select Save As from the Article menu.

2.	In the Save As dialog box that appears, enter a name for the new (copied) article and click OK.

The original article will be retained and a new copy will be added to your program database.

For details on using this option, click Saving Articles.

For more information see:

Editing Articles

Working with Articles


 Defining Font Characteristics

The Bold, Italic, and Underline options on the Font menu allow you to assign those font characteristics to text within an article.

To change a font characteristic,

1.	Place the article in the Edit mode by selecting Edit Mode from the Edit menu.

2.	Select (highlight) the text you wish to modify.

3.	Choose Bold, Italic, Underline, or combinations of the three from the Font menu. The selected text will change appearance according to your specifications.

The default font characteristics can also be changed at any time by selecting Font from the Font menu and making the choices from the Font dialog.

NOTE: You cannot change the font characteristics of words used as links since those words have been assigned special characteristics essential to the linking process. (Click Linking Text to an Article for details.)

You can also change the color of article links used in an article. For details, click on Changing Link Color.

For more information see:

Editing Articles

Saving Articles

Working with Articles


 Selecting Items to Add to a Map

If you want to add an item (such as city or battle site) to a map, the Map Item List in the Place/Names dialog box allows you to select from a list of existing map items. To access this dialog, select Find/Select Items from the Search menu. Use the following steps to select an item to add to a map:

1.	At the top of the Place/Names dialog, select the option "Items in Database But NOT Found On Current Map." This displays the Map Item List on the left of the dialog box.

2.	From the Map Item List, select the item(s) you want, then click the Add button.

(You can select multiple items by clicking and dragging or by pressing the Shift or Ctrl keys as you click. Click on Selecting Map Items for more information on selecting multiple items.)

The items are added to your map. The Place/Names dialog remains active so you can add additional items or perform other functions, if needed.

NOTE:  If the item you added cannot be placed on the map because its coordinates lie outside of the map's boundaries, after you click the Add button, a Message dialog will appear indicating the selected item cannot be viewed on the existing map. You can place the item anyway or cancel the selection.

3.	When you are done, click the Close button to close the dialog and return to your map. The new item is positioned appropriately on the map.

For more information see:

Creating Your Own Map Items

Working with Map Items

Working with Maps


 Smart Picker

American History Explorer contains a "smart picker" function that allows you to select from a pick list by typing only an item's first few letters.

For example, to open an article from the Select Article dialog, type the first few letters of the name of the article you want to open into the box above the articles list. The highlight automatically moves to this article, and you can now click OK or press Enter to open it.

For more information see:

Data Entry Procedures

Data Entry Keys

Deleting Data

Entering New Field Information

Marking Fields

Using the Windows Clipboard Options

Keyboard Commands

Mouse Operations


 Selecting Parts of a Map

You can select a portion of a map using the RIGHT mouse button. You can then copy the selected area to the Windows Clipboard and export it to a graphics file or zoom in on or print the selected area only.

To select a portion of a map,

1.	With the selected map open, click the arrow cursor icon on the icon bar.

2.	Position the cursor where you want to begin.

3.	Click and hold the right button on your mouse as you drag the outline over the area you want to select.

4.	When you've defined the area you want, release the mouse button. The specified area is selected.

Now you can manipulate the map as you wish.

  To copy the selected map portion to the Windows Clipboard, click the Copy Map icon or select Copy from the Edit menu.

  To zoom in on the selected area, click the Zoom icon or select Zoom from the Options menu.

  To print the selected area, click the Print Map icon or select Print from the Map menu and choose Selected Rectangle.

For more information see:

Copying Maps to the Windows Clipboard

Zooming Selected Areas on a Map

Printing Maps

Saving a Map

Working with Maps


 Data Entry Keys

Some common cursor-movement and editing keys are listed here. These keys operate as indicated in most data entry fields:

Left Arrow  Moves the cursor one position to the left.

Right Arrow  Moves the cursor one position to the right.

Home  Moves the cursor to the beginning of a field.

End  Moves the cursor to the end of a field.

Del  Deletes the character in the current cursor position.

For more information see:

Data Entry Procedures

Deleting Data

Entering New Field Information

Marking Fields

Using the Windows Clipboard Options

Keyboard Commands

Mouse Operations

Smart Picker


 Deleting Data

To erase data from a data entry field on a dialog box,

1.	Select the data to be deleted by dragging the cursor over the desired text.

2.	Press the Del key or the spacebar to delete the entire entry.

You can also erase entries character by character (without selecting any text) by pressing the Del or Backspace key repeatedly.

For more information see:

Data Entry Procedures

Data Entry Keys

Entering New Field Information

Marking Fields

Using the Windows Clipboard Options

Keyboard Commands

Mouse Operations

Smart Picker


 Entering New Field Information

Initially, a data entry field on a dialog box can be empty or it may contain preset or default characters.

To accept the data currently displayed in the field,

Position the highlight on the desired field and press Tab. The entry is accepted and the highlight moves to the next field.

To enter a different option, do one of the following:

With the highlight positioned on the desired field, use the keyboard to type in the appropriate information, then press Tab to accept your entry and move to the next field.

Click on the down arrow at the right end of many data entry fields to view a list of available choices. From this list, you can click on any option to select it. Your choice appears in the data entry field. Press Tab to accept the entry and move to the next field.

For more information see:

Data Entry Procedures

Data Entry Keys

Deleting Data

Marking Fields

Using the Windows Clipboard Options

Keyboard Commands

Mouse Operations

Smart Picker


 Marking Fields

On many dialog boxes, you need to choose from a list of features or indicate whether optional information should be included. You will encounter three slightly different versions of this type of field:

Check Boxes

On some dialog boxes, you will notice check boxes that allow you to select or deselect an item (usually a display option). For example, the Map Legend dialog box (accessed by selecting Edit Legend from the Edit menu) contains several check boxes at the top that you can use to display/hide various items on the map legend. When you click on a check box with your mouse, an "X" appears in the box.

Frequently, one or more items will be checked by default. To change the selection, move the cursor to the box in front of the option of interest and press the spacebar (or click on it with your mouse). If the item was previously selected, the "X" is removed from the box. If the item was not selected, an "X" appears in the box.

Radio Buttons

Some dialog boxes also contain circular radio buttons that allow you to select a particular option. For example, when you select Open from the Map menu of a Map window, a Select Map dialog appears where you can use radio buttons to view the list of existing maps in alphabetic or chronological order.

Radio buttons are used for options where you can make only ONE choice. Sometimes, radio buttons are selected by default, but you can change this by clicking on another radio button. The selection will move from the default to your new choice. You cannot deselect a radio button by clicking on it; you must select another option.

Colored Highlight Bar

Throughout American History Explorer, some program features allow you to select one or more options using the highlight bar. You can select items using the keyboard or your mouse. For example, when you are selecting a map to open, you can click on the desired map or use the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard to select it. You can then click OK to open the map. On some dialogs, such as the Place/Names dialog, you can select more than one item at a time. For more information on selecting items from this dialog, click Selecting Items from the Map Item List.

For more information see:

Data Entry Procedures

Data Entry Keys

Deleting Data

Entering New Field Information

Using the Windows Clipboard Options

Keyboard Commands

Mouse Operations

Smart Picker


 Using the Windows Clipboard Options

You can use Windows Clipboard options to perform various functions in an Article window. For example, you can undo the last action performed, cut or copy selected text from an article, and paste text from the Clipboard into an article. All of these options are accessible from the Edit menu of any Article window.

You can also use the following keyboard commands to perform each operation:

Undo	Ctrl+Z

Cut 	Ctrl+X

Copy	Ctrl+C

Paste	Ctrl+V

NOTE:  You can also use the Copy Article icon on the icon bar to copy the article text to the Windows Clipboard.

For more information see:

Data Entry Procedures

Data Entry Keys

Deleting Data

Entering New Field Information

Marking Fields

Keyboard Commands

Mouse Operations

Smart Picker

Edit Menu for Maps

Edit Menu for Articles

Copying Maps to the Windows Clipboard

Editing Articles


 Keyboard Commands

You can select some American History Explorer options using either the keyboard or a Microsoft (or compatible) mouse.

The keyboard movements used in the program are typical of those found in many software programs. For example, next to some menu options on a pull-down menu, there are shortcut keys listed. You can use these shortcut keys to quickly access program features by pressing the appropriate key(s) on your keyboard.

NOTE:  Although you can select many options in American History Explorer using a keyboard or a mouse, a Microsoft (or compatible) mouse is still required to operate the program. Some features of the program, such as accessing options from the Opening Screen and measuring distance between two or more points on a map, can only be performed with a mouse.

For more information see:

Data Entry Procedures

Data Entry Keys

Deleting Data

Entering New Field Information

Marking Fields

Using the Windows Clipboard Options

Mouse Operations

Smart Picker


 Mouse Operations

Some American History Explorer options can be selected using either the keyboard or a Microsoft (or compatible) mouse.

Before you can run American History Explorer, make sure the "mouse driver" software provided with the mouse has been properly installed. Refer to the installation instructions included with the mouse package.

Because most Windows users tend to use a mouse, we emphasize mouse operation in our program documentation and in the online Help. If you are new to mouse operations, please refer to your Windows manual for assistance.

NOTE:  Although many options in American History Explorer can be selected using a keyboard, a Microsoft (or compatible) mouse is still required to operate the program. Some features of the program, such as measuring distance between two or more points on a map, can only be performed with a mouse.

For more information see:

Data Entry Procedures

Data Entry Keys

Deleting Data

Entering New Field Information

Marking Fields

Using the Windows Clipboard Options

Keyboard Commands

Smart Picker


 Edit Map Item Dialog Box

This dialog box opens when you click on the Edit Map Item icon from a Map window or select Create New Item or Edit Items from the Map menu.

The Create New Item option allows you to add map items to a map. The Edit Items option allows you to edit a selected map item. The following paragraphs explain the fields contained on the Edit Map Item dialog box and what to enter (or select) for each field.

Name--enter a name for the map item. The name you enter will appear on maps as entered here and is used to reference the item, so you can insert it on other maps later if you like (via the Map Item List). Therefore, you need to enter a name for the item, even if you choose not to display it on your map. If you want to enter notes about the item, you can insert the information after the name within parentheses. (Anything within parentheses won't appear on the map, but will appear in the Place/Names dialog.)

Font/Size/Style/Color--select the font type, size, color, and style (regular, bold, etc.) for the map item. You can type your choice for each into the appropriate field or click the down arrow beside the field to select an item from the list of available options. When you enter or modify font characteristics, an example appears in the box in the lower left corner of the dialog.

Rotate Name--specify the angle at which the name should be displayed. You can rotate the name to display it at an angle or to display it vertically instead of horizontally. You can enter your choice (from 0 to 360) or you can click the down arrow beside the input field to select from the list of available choices. An example of how the name will appear is displayed in the box in the lower left corner of the dialog.

Underline/Strikeout--these check boxes allow you to underline or strikeout the name for the map item. To use one of these options, click the appropriate checkbox using the spacebar or your mouse.

Icon/Size/Color--select the icon to be displayed on the map as well as the size and color for the icon. You can enter your choice into the appropriate input field or you can click the down arrow beside the field to select from the list of available choices. An example of your selections appears in the box to the right. If you do not want an icon to display on the map, select the appropriate display option (see Display Options below).

Text Article--select the article to be attached to the map item. You can leave this blank if you want to create your own article and add it here later.

Category--define the type of item you are inserting by selecting the appropriate category from the category list provided. On the Place/Names dialog, you can use categories to sort items displayed on a map. You can limit the items displayed (by city, region, etc.).

Display Options--specify what is to be displayed on the map: name and icon, name only, or icon only.

Location--designate the exact location for the map item by entering the appropriate latitude and longitude. The settings displayed reflect the current location of the map item (based on the location you choose).

Change item(s) on all maps--indicate whether or not you want the changes made for this map item to be modified on all maps containing this item. This field only appears if you are editing a map item (it will not appear if you are creating a map item). Check this box using the spacebar or your mouse to change this item on all maps as indicated. If you have checked this box, when you click OK to accept your entries, a Select Attributes to Change dialog appears where you can verify/select the types of modifications to be made.

For more information see:

Editing Map Items

Map Item List

Select Attributes to Change Dialog


 Map Legend Dialog Box

The Map Legend dialog box allows you to modify the information displayed on a map's legend. You access this dialog by opening a map, then selecting Edit Legend from the Edit menu. The following paragraphs explain the fields contained on the Map Legend dialog box and what to enter (or select) for each field.

Print map name--Check this box to have the name of the map printed at the top of the legend when you print the map. To check and uncheck this box, use the spacebar or your mouse.

Display distance scale--Check this box to display the distance scale on the legend. The increments on the distance scale vary depending on the map's background and the zoom level you currently have selected. To check and uncheck this box, use the spacebar or your mouse.

Display elevation scale--Check this box if you want the elevation scale displayed on the legend for topographic maps. The elevation scale does not display on non-topographic maps. Check and uncheck the box by using the spacebar or your mouse.

Label (Font/Color/Style)--Use these fields to define the font characteristics for each item displayed on the legend. You will use these options in conjunction with the Legend Items boxes at the bottom of the dialog. You can enter the text into one of the fields, then select the appropriate font characteristics. You can enter your choices into the appropriate fields or click the down arrow beside a field to select a choice from the list of available options. An example of how the Legend Item will appear is shown at the bottom of the Map Legend dialog.

Underline/Strikeout--These check boxes allow you to underline or strikeout text in a Legend Item field. To use one of these options, highlight the desired text in a Legend Item field, then mark the appropriate check box using the spacebar or your mouse.

Icon (Type/Color)--These options allow you to select the icon type and color that you want displayed for a particular Legend Item. By default, the Dot icon is selected for each Legend Item you create. To select another icon, click on the down arrow beside the Type field, then click the desired icon. You can enter your choices for these fields or click the down arrow beside a field to select from the available options. An example of how the Legend Item will appear is shown at the bottom of the Map Legend dialog.

Hide the Icon--Check this box if you do not want an icon displayed for a particular Legend Item. You can check and uncheck this box using the spacebar or your mouse.

Legend Items--The eight boxes that appear in the Legend Items section of the dialog allow you to enter text that will appear on the legend. Most maps included with the program list the events depicted on the map as Legend Items. You can use the Label options that appear above the Legend Items boxes to define the font characteristics for the text you enter. An example of how each Legend Item will appear is shown at the bottom of the Map Legend dialog.

For more information see:

Editing the Map Legend


 Merge Maps Dialog Box

The Merge Maps dialog box allows you to merge the items from a selected map with the current map. This dialog appears when you select Merge Maps from the Edit menu of a Map window.

The Merge Maps dialog contains a list of existing maps and looks very similar to the Select Map dialog you see when you are opening a map. However, additional information is displayed at the top of the Merge Maps dialog. This information lists the background for the current map to give you an idea of the region represented by the current map, so you can make an appropriate selection.

You can use the scroll bars (or the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard) to scroll through the list. To select a map to merge with the current one, do one of the following:

Click on the desired map with your mouse.

Use the up and down arrow keys.

Type the first few letters of the map's name into the input field above the list.

After you've selected the desired map, click OK or press Enter. The items from the selected map are merged with the current map. (You can also double-click on a map on the Merge Maps dialog box to select it and merge its contents with the current map in one step. In this case, you do not need to click the OK button.)

NOTE:  At any time, you can click Cancel on the Merge Maps dialog to return to your original place in the program.

For more information see:

Merging Maps


 Place/Names Dialog Box

This dialog box appears when you select Find/Select Items from the Search menu of a Map window or click the Search icon on the map's icon bar.

The Place/Names dialog box allows you to access a list of all cities, regions, events, geographical features, people, and other miscellaneous map items available in American History Explorer. You can elect to display:

A list of the specific items that appear on the current map.

A list of all the map items that are in the database but do NOT appear on the current map.

To select which list you want to see, click on Items On Current Map or Items In Database But NOT On Current Map, as is appropriate.

From the Place/Names dialog box you can:

Review a list of items on the current map.

Review a list of items NOT on the current map.

Add items to the current map.

Find an item on the current map.

Access a list of maps containing a selected place or name.

Permanently delete places and names from the American History Explorer database (if you're using the Read/Write installation option).

For more information on the options available for this dialog, click the appropriate topic below.

Limiting Categories

Selecting Items from the Map Item List

Selecting Items to Add to a Map

Finding an Item on the Current Map

Using the Map List Button


 Print Dialog Box for Maps

When you select Print from the Map menu of a Map window (or click the Print Map icon), a Print dialog appears. (If you are in Read Only mode, the Print Setup dialog appears when you click the Print icon. When you click OK in Print Setup, the Print dialog appears.)

On this dialog, you can specify the print options for the map being printed. The following paragraphs explain the options available on this dialog. Note that if you want to modify the page orientation--to print the map in landscape, for example--you need to use the Print Setup option on the Map menu; click Print Setup for details.

Area--specify the area of the map you want printed. Available options include: Selected Rectangle, Current Window, or Entire Map. The Selected Rectangle option is available only if you have selected an area on the map to be printed prior to accessing the Print option. (Click Selecting Portions of a Map for details on selecting an area of a map.)

The Current Window option will print only the contents of the active Map window. The Entire Map option adjusts the whole map (including those portions not currently shown on screen) to fit within the confines of the margins you specify.

HINT:  The Selected Rectangle and Current Window print options give you more control over the appearance of the image printed. Before printing the map, you can set the zoom level and map position to your liking, for example. Then when you print the map, it will be printed exactly as it appears on screen.

Margins--define the top, bottom, left, and right margins for the map. The program adjusts the map to fit on the page based on the margins you specify. Therefore, larger margins will make the map appear smaller and smaller margins will make the map appear larger.

NOTE: The program will print the map as closely to the selected margins as possible. However, the right and bottom margins may be somewhat larger than specified depending on the print settings you have selected.

Style--indicate whether you want the map to be gray scaled (printed in various shades of gray), printed only in black and white, or printed in color. The Color option is available only if you are using a color printer.

Print event markers--indicate whether or not you want the events depicted on the current map to be printed. To print any events shown on the current map, use the spacebar or your mouse to check this checkbox. Leave this box unchecked if you do not want events printed on the current map. (Only the cities, regions, geographical features, etc. will be printed.)

For more information see:

Print Setup

Print Setup Dialog Box

Printing Maps


 Save As Dialog Box (for articles)

This dialog box opens when you select Save As from the Article menu of an Article window. It also appears the first time you save an article you've written.

The Save As dialog allows you to enter a name for a new article. You can enter any name (up to 60 characters). When entering a name, you can use any keyboard character and can include spaces to separate words if you like. After you've entered the desired name, click OK to save the article under the name you entered. Or, you can click Cancel to cancel the selection (without saving the article) and return to the current window.

For more information see:

Saving an Article


 Save As Dialog Box (for maps)

This dialog box appears whenever you select Save (on a new map) or Save As from the Map menu of a Map window.

The Save As Dialog Box can be used to:

Save a user-defined map (one you created) for the first time (if you choose Save from the Map menu).

 Make a copy of the current map (if you choose Save As from the Map menu).

When the Save As dialog appears, you can enter a name and a time period for the map.

Choosing a Map Name

In the name field, you can enter a name of up to 60 characters for your map. You can use any keyboard character and can include spaces to separate words if you like. You can click the down arrow beside the name field (or press the down arrow on your keyboard) to view a list of existing map names.

Adding a Time Period

You can also enter a date to indicate the time period of the map if you like. This date is used for sorting maps chronologically on the Select Map dialog.

The program recognizes standard month abbreviations as well as most standard date abbreviating formats (for example, 7/4/1776; or July 4, 1776; or 7-4-1776); however, you must enter all four digits of the year (1776, not '76). Maps covering a range of dates are sorted chronologically.

Saving the Map

After you've entered the appropriate information (note that the name is required, but the time period is optional), click OK to save the map under the name you entered. Or, you can click Cancel to cancel the selection (without saving the map) and return to the current window.

For more information, see:

Creating a Map

Working with Maps


 Select Article Dialog Box

This dialog box appears when you click the Source Book icon on the Opening Screen, click the Open Article icon of an Article window, or select Open from the Article menu of an Article window.

Use the Select Article dialog to access any of the nearly 1,400 articles in the American History Explorer database.

On the dialog, you'll see a list of existing articles. This list contains all the articles included with the program plus any you've created. You can use the scroll bars (or the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard) to scroll through the list. To select an article, do one of the following:

Click on the desired article with your mouse.

Use the up and down arrow keys.

Type the first few letters of the article's name into the input field above the list.

After you've selected the desired article, click OK. The selected article opens on screen in an Article window.

NOTE:  You can click the Cancel button on the Select Article dialog box at any time to void the operation and return to your original place in the program.

For more information see:

Associating Articles with a Map

Viewing Articles


 Select Attributes to Change Dialog Box

The Select Attributes to Change dialog box appears if you have checked the Change item(s) on all maps check box on the Edit Map Item dialog box.

The Select Attributes to Change dialog box outlines the types of modifications you made to the map item (name, font, icon, text article attached, etc.) and gives you an opportunity to select the items you want changed. Each area you have changed is automatically selected by default; you can deselect the items you don't want to change by using the spacebar or your mouse.

The following outlines each of the check boxes listed on the dialog along with a description of the information the check box represents.

Name--the name of the item.

Display Options--the information to be displayed for the map item (name and icon, name only, icon only).

Text Article--the article associated with the map item.

Category--the type classification for the map item (city, event, geographic, misc., people, region, or state).

Location--the latitude and longitude for the map item.

Font--the type, size, angle, style, color, and underline/strikeout selections for the name of the map item.

Icon--the type, size, and color for the icon to be displayed for the map item.

Click OK when you're done, to update all maps and return to the Map window. Or, click Cancel to return to the Edit Map Item dialog box.

For more information see:

Editing Map Items


 Select Background Dialog Box

When you choose New from the Map menu, a Select Background dialog appears where you can select the background for the map you're creating.

You can use the scroll bars (or the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard) to scroll through the list of available backgrounds. To select a background on the dialog, do one of the following:

Click on the desired background with your mouse.

Use the up and down arrow keys.

Type the first few letters of the background's name into the input field above the list.

After you've selected the desired background, click OK. The selected background opens on screen in a Map window. (You can also double click on a background on the Select Background dialog box to select it and open it in one step. In this case, you do not need to click the OK button.)

NOTE:  At any time, you can click Cancel on the Select Background dialog to return to your original place in the program.

For more information see:

Creating a Map


 Link Article Dialog Box

The Link Article dialog box allows you to pick an article to link to selected text in the open article. This dialog box appears when you are editing an article. You must first select text (by highlighting it with your mouse), then choose Link from the Links menu.

On the dialog, you'll see a list of existing articles. This list contains all the articles included with the program plus any you've created. You can use the scroll bars (or the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard) to scroll through the list. To select an article, do one of the following:

Click on the desired article with your mouse.

Use the up and down arrow keys.

Type the first few letters of the article's name into the input field above the list.

After you've selected the desired article, click OK. The specified article is linked to the selected text within the current article. The link is enabled and the text changes to the color of other linked items. (You can also double click on an article on the Link Article dialog box to select it and link it in one step. In this case, you do not need to click the OK button.)

NOTE:  You can click the Cancel button on the Link Article dialog box at any time to void the operation and return to the article.

For more information see:

Linking Text in an Article

Viewing Articles


 Select Map Dialog Box

The Select Map dialog box allows you to select a map to open on screen.

This dialog appears when you click the Map Studio icon on the Opening Screen, choose Open from the Map menu of any Map window, or click the Open Map icon on a Map window icon bar.

The Select Maps dialog contains a list of existing maps. You can use the scroll bars (or the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard) to scroll through the list of available maps.

Most maps included with the program are associated with a time period, indicating the era of the map. Initially, the Select Map dialog lists maps in alphabetical order. However, you can also choose to sort them in time period order if you like (which will display appropriate date first, followed by the map name). Just click on the option you prefer.

To select a map to open, do one of the following:

Click on the desired map with your mouse.

Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the desired map.

Type the first few letters of the map's name into the input field above the list.

After you've selected the desired map, click OK (or press Enter). The selected map opens on screen in a Map window. (You can also double click on a map on the Select Map dialog box to select it and open it in one step. In this case, you do not need to click the OK button.)

NOTE:  At any time, you can click Cancel on the Select Map dialog to return to your original place in the program.

For more information see:

Opening a Map


 Swap Backgrounds Dialog Box

The Swap Background dialog box allows you to change the background for the current map. This dialog appears when you choose Swap Backgrounds from the Edit menu with a map currently active on screen.

The name of the current background is listed at the top of the dialog. This will help you select an appropriate background.

For example, to switch from a map displaying a U.S. medium background to a background of the same area displaying only the topography, you would choose a U.S. Medium Topographic background. (Note that in this case, the U.S Medium background would not appear as an option on the Select Backgrounds dialog since it's already in use.)

To select a background on the dialog, do one of the following:

Click on the desired background with your mouse.

Use the up and down arrow keys.

Type the first few letters of the background's name into the input field above the list.

After you've selected the desired background, click OK. The map's current background is replaced by the selected background. (You can also double click on a background on the Swap Backgrounds dialog box to select it and replace the current background in one step. In this case, you do not need to click the OK button.)

NOTE:  At any time, you can click Cancel on the Swap Backgrounds dialog to return to your original place in the program.

For more information see:

Changing the Map Background


 Zoom Map Dialog Box

The Zoom Map dialog box allows you to modify the zoom level for the current map. This dialog appears when you select Zoom from the Options menu or click the Zoom Map icon.

The current zoom level displays near the right center of the box. You can adjust the zoom level by typing a value directly into the Set Level field or by using the Zoom In/Zoom Out scroll bar on the left side of the box.

You can set values from 0.25 (zoomed out to reveal the largest area of the map) to 1.5 (zoomed in to show the smallest area). When you're satisfied with the setting, click OK. Depending upon your computer system and the degree of change, the modification may take several moments to implement. (Note that you can click the Cancel button on the Zoom Map dialog at any time to void the current operation and return to your original place in the program.)

NOTE:  If you zoom your map out to such a degree that any text on it would be impossible to read, the text may not be displayed at all. Do not be concerned. The information has not been deleted and will reappear again when you zoom back in.

For more information, see:

Zooming a Selected Map Area

Working with Maps


 Unlinking Text Within an Article

To remove a link within an article that may not be appropriate or is no longer needed:

1.	Open the article to be modified.

2.	If needed, activate the Edit mode by choosing Edit Mode from the Edit menu. (If you are already in the Edit mode and a check mark appears next to this menu option, skip this step.)

3.	Highlight the item within the article to be unlinked and choose Unlink from the Links menu. The text returns to its normal display characteristics and the link is removed.

For more information see:

Linking Text to an Article

Associating Articles with Maps

Associating Articles with Map Items

Saving Articles


 Inserting Graphics into a Map

American History Explorer's Toolbox lets you create your own graphics to add to maps; and you can insert previously created graphics, too. For example, you might draw a circle or box around a point of interest or a group of events to draw attention to them.

To activate the Toolbox, select Graphic Tools from the Edit menu of any Map window (or click on the Toolbox icon on the icon bar). To disable the Toolbox, reselect this menu option or click the Toolbox icon again.

Toolbox Elements

The buttons on the top of the Toolbox allow you to select the type of line or shape you want to create. You can select the arrow and hand cursors from the Toolbox as well.

The arrow cursor allows you to draw lines and shapes, resize graphics, and select graphics.

The hand cursor allows you to select and move graphics.

Other options on the Toolbox allow you to select the colors and width for your lines, and fill patterns and colors for shapes. You can also access the Add Graphics dialog which allows you to insert previously created graphics. If you have graphics that overlap, you can choose which item to place on top. You also have the option to copy, save, and move any map graphics.

For detailed information about the features available from the Toolbox, click on Toolbox. More information is included in the topics listed below. Click on the appropriate topic for more information.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Selecting Items from the Map Item List

On the Place/Names dialog box, you can select items from the map item list in several ways. Once you've selected an item, you can add it to the current map, find it on the current map, or access a map list for the selected item.

The following paragraphs outline how to select one or more items from the map item list:

Selecting a Single Item

To select a single item, use one of the following methods:

Click on its name in the Place/Names list.

Enter the first few letters of the item in the data entry field above the list to move near the item's location in the list quickly.

Selecting Nonconsecutive Items

To select several nonconsecutive items from the list,

Press and hold the Ctrl key as you click on the various items of interest. Each item will be highlighted.

Selecting Consecutive Items

To select several items in a row, use one of these methods:

Click on the first item, then hold the left mouse button as you drag the mouse to the last item of interest. Release the mouse button.

Click the first item and press the Shift key while clicking on the last item.) All items in the block you've selected are highlighted.

For more information see:

Selecting Items to Add to a Map

Finding Items on the Current Map

Using the Map List Button

Limiting Categories

Performing a Search

Working with Maps


 Drawing Lines

You can draw straight lines or polylines (connected lines) to highlight portions of a map (to illustrate a journey or a boundary, for example).

To draw a line on a map,

1.	Activate the Toolbox (click the Toolbox icon on the icon bar or select Graphic Tools from the Edit menu).

2.	Click on the desired line button at the top of the Toolbox. You can choose either the straight line or the polyline.

3.	Select the desired line color and width on the Toolbox. To choose a line color, select the Line option above the color palette, then click on the desired color. To select a line width, position the cursor on the correct width and click.

4.	Move the cursor to the map and position it where you want the line to begin. Notice that when you move the cursor onto the map, it changes to a crosshair cursor (+).

5.	If you are drawing a straight line, click and hold the left mouse button as you drag the mouse across the map. An outline of the line appears as you drag the mouse to help you position the line correctly. When you've finished drawing your line, release the mouse button. The line is drawn as indicated.

If you are drawing a polyline, you do not have to hold down the mouse button as you're drawing the example. You can click once on the line's starting point, move the cursor to another position and click again, and move the cursor to yet another position and click again. An outline of the polyline you've drawn appears on screen. When finished, double-click at the end of the line. The line is drawn as indicated.

For more information see:

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Drawing Shapes

You can draw shapes on any map to identify or emphasize an area, for example. Drawing a shape is much like drawing a line. When you draw a shape, however, you can draw an outline of a shape or you can fill it to create a solid shape.

To draw a shape on a map,

1.	Activate the Toolbox (click the Toolbox icon on the icon bar or select Graphic Tools from the Edit menu of the Map window).

2.	Click on the desired shape at the top of the Toolbox. You can choose a circle, square, arrowhead, or polygon. (See Arrowheads below for details on drawing arrowheads.)

3.	Select the desired color and line width on the Toolbox. You can also select whether or not you want to fill the shape and specify a line color and a fill color.

To choose a line color, select the Line option above the color palette then click on the desired color. To select a fill color, select the Fill option above the color palette then click the desired color. Click No Fill if you want the background to display behind the shape (so the shape doesn't cover up the map). To select the line width, position the cursor on the correct width and click.

4.	Move the cursor to the map and position it where you want the shape to begin. Notice that when you move the cursor onto the map, it changes to a crosshair cursor (+).

5.	Click and hold the left mouse button as you drag the mouse and "draw" the shape on the map. An outline of the shape appears as you drag the mouse to help you position the shape correctly.

If you are drawing a polygon, you do not have to hold down the mouse button as you're drawing the shape. For example, you can click once at the shape's starting point, move the cursor to the next position and click again, etc. until you've defined all the anchor points for the shape you want. An outline of the shape you've drawn appears on screen.

6.	When you've finished drawing your shape, release the mouse button. (If you're drawing a polygon, double click on the last anchor point to end the shape.) The shape is drawn as indicated.

Arrowheads

For information on drawing the arrowhead markers, click on Drawing Arrowheads.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Selecting Graphics

Once you've created a line or shape, you may want to copy, delete, move, or resize it. To perform any of these options, you must first select the graphic. This produces graphic "handles" (small boxes) on the ends of lines and on various anchor points on a shape which can be used to manipulate the shape. These handles only appear when the Toolbox is active; therefore, you cannot manipulate graphics when the Toolbox is disabled, such as with a Read Only installation.

To select a graphic from a Map window:

1.	Activate the Toolbox (click the Toolbox icon on the icon bar or select Graphic Tools from the Edit menu).

2.	Select the hand cursor or the arrow cursor (on the Toolbox or on the icon bar).

If you are moving a graphic, select the hand cursor.

If you are resizing a graphic, select the arrow cursor.

If you are copying or deleting a graphic, you can use either cursor.

3.	Position the cursor on one of the graphic's handles and click. This selects the graphic. Note that the handles are a different color when the graphic is selected.

When you select a line or shape, the entire graphic is selected; therefore, you cannot delete or remove portions of a line or shape. If many shapes or lines have been used to illustrate a path or journey, for example, you can select each line or shape individually to delete them as needed.

NOTE: The graphic handles for circles do not appear on the circle as they do for lines and other shapes. The graphic handles for circles appear just outside the circle in the upper left and lower right corners of the area the graphic encompasses.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Copying Graphics

If you want to copy a line or shape you've already created, you can select it and copy it using special buttons on the Toolbox.

To copy a graphic,

1.	Activate the Toolbox, if needed (click the Toolbox icon on the icon bar of the Map window or select Graphic Tools from the Edit menu).

2.	Select the desired graphic by clicking on one of the graphic's handles. For information on graphic handles and selecting graphics, click Selecting Graphics.

3.	Click on the Copy button on the Toolbox. A duplicate appears next to the original graphic. You can move the duplicate to another position if you like by selecting it and dragging it to the desired location; click Moving Graphics for details.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Moving Graphics

You can move or reposition any graphic on a map using the hand cursor.

To move a graphic:

1.	Activate the Toolbox, if needed (click the Toolbox icon on the Map window's icon bar or select Graphic Tools from the Edit menu).

2.	Click on the hand cursor on the Toolbox (or on the icon bar).

3.	Select the desired graphic by clicking on one of the graphic's handles. For information on graphic handles and selecting graphics, click Selecting Graphics.

4.	Click on one of the graphic's handles and hold the left mouse button as you drag the graphic to the desired location. Note that as you move the graphic, an outline of the line or shape follows to help you position the graphic correctly.

5.	When you've positioned the graphic where you want it, release the mouse button. The graphic appears in the new location.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Deleting Graphics

The Toolbox allows you to delete any graphics you don't need.

To delete a graphic:

1.	Activate the Toolbox, if needed (click the Toolbox icon on the Map window's icon bar or select Graphic Tools from the Edit menu).

2.	Select the desired graphic by clicking on one of the graphic's handles. For information on graphic handles and selecting graphics, click Selecting Graphics.

3.	Click on the Del button on the Toolbox. The graphic is removed from the map.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Resizing Graphics

With the Toolbox active, you can use the arrow cursor to resize lines and shapes on a map.

To resize a graphic,

1.	Activate the Toolbox, if needed (click the Toolbox icon on the Map window's icon bar or select Graphic Tools from the Edit menu).

2.	Click on the arrow cursor on the Toolbox (or on the icon bar).

3.	Position the cursor on one of the graphic's handles. For information on graphic handles and selecting graphics, click Selecting Graphics.

4.	Click and hold the mouse button on the graphic handle and drag it to the desired position. When the line is the desired length or the shape is the desired size, release the mouse button. The object is resized accordingly.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Reusing Graphics with the Add Graphics Dialog Box

The Toolbox allows you to add, save, and reuse graphics from other American History Explorer maps via the Add Graphics dialog.

Adding Graphics

To add a graphic:

1.	Click the Add button shown at the bottom of the Toolbox.

2.	In the Add Graphics dialog that appears (see below), select the item that you want to add to the map. Note that the Add Graphics dialog contains a list of states. This list can be used to place state boundary lines for one or more states on a map. Select and insert them as you would any other graphics.

3.	Click the Add to Map button. The graphic will appear in the same position on the new map in the location where it was originally created.

4.	Close the Add Graphics dialog by clicking the Close button.

Saving Graphics

To save a graphic from the Toolbox (so you can reuse it on another map):

1.	Select the desired graphic.

2.	Click the Add button at the bottom of the Toolbox.

3.	Click the Save As button on the Add Graphics dialog and enter a name for the graphic in the Save Graphic dialog that appears. Then click OK. The graphic name now appears in the Add Graphics dialog.

4.	Close the Add Graphics dialog by clicking the Close button.

Deleting Graphics

You can also delete a graphic from the Add Graphics dialog by selecting it and clicking on the Del button on the Toolbox. Note that this deletes the graphic from your system, and it will no longer appear on the Add Graphics dialog.

For more information see:

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics


 Background Maps

A background map is an outline of a geographic region. Background maps may already contain graphic representations for rivers and land topography, but do not contain any map items (cities, names, events, etc.).

Within American History Explorer background maps have been included to help you create your own maps. You can also use these backgrounds when changing the background for an existing map.

For more information, see:

Changing the Map Background


 Copying Maps to the Windows Clipboard

You can copy a selected portion of a map to the Windows Clipboard to paste it into another Windows application, such as Paintbrush.

To copy a portion of a map to the Clipboard,

1.	Select the area you want to copy using the right mouse button. (Click Selecting Parts of a Map for details.)

2.	Select Copy from the Edit menu of the Map window or click the Copy Map icon from the icon bar. The selected map area is copied to the Clipboard. For details on using the Clipboard, refer to your Windows manual.

For more information see:

Zooming Selected Areas on a Map

Printing Maps

Working with Maps


 Creating Your Own Map Items

You can create your own items to add to a map instead of selecting from the list of available map items.

When you create your own map item, you can select from a variety of options. You can display the name and a selected icon, a name only, or an icon only. You could use the Name and Icon selection to add cities and the name only option to add rivers or other geographical items, for example. You also can define the font characteristics for any names and the display attributes for any icons you add. You can attach a text article to a map item so that, once it's on the map, you can double-click on it to display additional information about that item on screen.

To add a user-defined item to a map:

1.	Open the map and select Create New Item from the Edit menu.

2.	Note that when you move the cursor onto the map, it changes to a "Where?" indicator. Position this indicator where you want the new item to appear and click the left mouse button. The Edit Map Item dialog appears.

3.	On the Edit Map Item dialog, you can enter the appropriate information. For details on the fields contained on this dialog, click Edit Map Item Dialog Box.

4.	When you've finished entering information, click OK. The new map item appears on your map as defined.

For more information see:

Edit Map Item Dialog Box

Selecting Items to Add to a Map

Working with Map Items

Working with Maps


 Limiting Categories

You can limit the items that appear in the map item list by marking general categories of items to include in the box shown in the lower right corner of the dialog.

Map items are divided into categories: Cities, States, Regions, Events, Geo (geographical features), People, and Misc. Initially, all categories are selected.

To limit the categories,

1.	Unmark (or mark) a category by clicking on the box preceding the desired option.

2.	Make all the selections that you want.

3.	The map item list in the lower left corner of the dialog will change to display the items that match the categories you've marked. A category icon in front of each item indicates its category (for example, a skyline denotes a city).

For more information see:

Selecting Items from the Map Item List

Selecting Items to Add to a Map

Finding an Item on the Current Map

Using the Map List Button

Performing a Search

Working with Maps


 The Map List Button

At some time you may wish to locate a map that has a specific item. For example, you may wish to find maps that include the Alamo. The Map List button in the Place/Names dialog box will help you locate all the relevant maps.

To view a list of maps where a specific item is displayed:

1.	Click the Search icon or select Find/Select Items from the Search menu of any Map window. This opens the Place/Names dialog box.

2.	Select the item from the list in the Place/Names dialog box.

3.	Click on the Map List button. A Select Map dialog appears listing all of the maps that include the item you've selected.

4.	Highlight a map and click OK to open it.

Selecting Untitled Maps

The Select Map dialog list (see step 3 above) also contains an ***Untitled Map*** option you can use to open a new map (based on one of the backgrounds) with the selected item appropriately placed on the map. Simply highlight this option and click OK. Other map items can be added to the untitled map by selecting items from the map item list and clicking the Add button.

If you use the Map List button again to locate another item and choose ***Untitled Map***, the next item will be added to a new untitled map, after prompting you to save the previous untitled map.

For more information see:

Limiting Categories

Selecting Items from the Map Item List

Finding an Item on the Current Map

Performing a Search

Working with Maps


 Article Window

Whenever you open a new or existing article in American History Explorer, the article appears inside an Article window.

You can change the size and location of the window like any other window within a Microsoft Windows application. (For example, just point to any corner or border, and when the cursor changes to a two-headed arrow, drag the corner or border until the window is the size you want. You can also click on the title bar and hold down the mouse button to drag the entire window to another position on the screen.)

You can also open more than one window at a time. For example, you can open an Article window while you have a Map window open. (You can NOT open more than one Article window at a time).

Below is an illustration of an Article window. Click on any portion of it for additional information.

To close an article (which closes the Article window, too), do any of the following:

Select Close from the Article menu.

Click on the Close Article icon on the icon bar.

Double-click on the Control-menu box in the upper left corner of the Article window.

For more information see:

Screen Elements

Menu Bar

Icon Bar

Scroll Bars


 Displaying Legends

To display a legend for a map, open the desired map and click on the Legend icon (or select Display Legend from the Options menu). The appropriate map legend appears within the Map window.

You can move the legend anywhere on the map to improve your map view. Just click on the title bar of the legend and drag the legend to a new location.

If you scroll through the map so that its legend is no longer visible, choose the Display Legend option. When you choose it once more, it will reposition the legend in the lower right corner of the Map window.

You can edit a legend for an existing map or any maps you've created (if you used the Read/Write installation option). To make changes, select Edit Legend from the Edit menu to open the Map Legend dialog box.

To close a legend, double-click on the Control-menu box icon in the upper left corner of the legend window or click the Legend icon on the icon bar.

For more information, see:

Editing Legends

Map Legend Dialog Box


Map Windows

Map windows are screens used to display American History Explorer maps. A Map window offers several menu options and an icon bar for modifying and manipulating the maps. The status bar at the bottom of a Map window is also used to display relevant information. These  features are explained in the Help topic Map Window.


 Operating the Finder

American History Explorer provides a "Finder" feature from the Opening Screen to help you locate specific information in the program. For example, if you want to know about Daniel Boone, you can quickly locate information --from an article, picture, map, video, or slide show.

To open the Finder and locate information,

1.	Click the Finder icon (bookcase) on the Opening Screen to open a Search dialog box, as illustrated below. (Some data has been entered in the sample.)

2.	In the Query field at the top of the dialog, enter a word or phrase such as the name of the person, place, or event that you want to research.

3.	Select other options to limit your search. (Click on Search Dialog Box for details.)

4.	When you're satisfied with the settings, click the Find button. The program will search through all the categories you've selected and present a Search Results box with its findings. This may take some time, depending on the Settings of your search and your computer. A status dialog tracks the status of your search.

5.	Select any item in the Search Results box and click View to instantly access the item.

For more information, see:

Opening Maps

Viewing Articles

Finding Map Items


 Hall of Presidents

The Hall of Presidents feature gives you details on the lives of America's first presidents. You can read their inaugural addresses, view slide shows about them, and learn about their lives -- everything from their religious preferences, how old they were when they married, how many children they had, and what caused their deaths.

For more information, see:

Opening the Hall of Presidents

Studying a President

Comparing Presidents

Tips on Scrolling


Article Windows

Article windows are screens that display an article. At the top of an Article window is a menu bar (if you used the Read/Write installation option) and an icon bar. Both can be used to work with articles. Click on Screen Elements for more information.


Menu Bars

Menu bars, displayed across the top of Map windows and Article windows, give you access to program features. These menu bars are only displayed if you use the Read/Write installation option. For details, click Menu Bar.


Links

Links are ties between text in one article and another article or a picture. Article links are marked by text of a different color. Picture links are marked by an icon ( [image]).

Clicking on a link allows you to jump from an open article to either a related picture or a different article that contains related information.


Icon Bar

An icon bar is a row of buttons with icons (pictures or symbols). In American History Explorer, icon bars appear in Map windows and Article windows. If you have selected the Read/Write installation option, the icon bar will appear below the menu bar; otherwise they will appear below the title bar. You can click on an icon bar button, rather than select from a menu, to access a program feature. For details on the icon bars, click on Icon Bar.


 Adjusting Program Volume

American History Explorer has no separate volume controls for monitoring the sound on slide shows, movies, songs, and the Hall of Presidents. To adjust the program volume, you'll need to use your system controls.

To adjust your system volume,

First check any external manual controls. For example, many systems have volume control knobs on the speakers.

If there is no volume control on your speaker, check the guide provided with your sound system. Often there is a mixer panel that allows you to adjust the volume for all applications.

For more information, see:

Exiting Videos

Operating Slide Show Controls

Operating the Song Book

Exiting the Hall of Presidents


 Opening the Hall of Presidents

To open the Hall of Presidents and learn more about any of the presidents,

1.	Click on the Hall of Presidents icon on the Opening Screen. A gallery of presidential portraits appears.

2.	Click the portrait of any president. A brief description of the president is announced.

From here you can go on to more detail about the selected president by clicking the portrait or nameplate. Click on Studying a President for details.

You can also scroll left and right to hear brief descriptions of the other presidents.

3.	To hear about other presidents, move the pointer cursor to either side of the screen. The pointer will turn into a solid arrow cursor. Click and hold the left mouse button as you bump the edge of the screen to scroll right or left.

When the next president's portrait is centered on the screen, the program will read a brief description about him.

At any time you can click on a president's portrait or nameplate to access more details about him.

4.	To return to the gallery of presidential portraits, click on the shelved book icon.

For more information, see:

Exiting the Hall of Presidents

Working with Articles

Working with Maps


 Comparing Presidents

Comparing Presidents is a feature of the Hall of Presidents that allows you to view side-by-side the details of the country's presidents through 1872 (including Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy during the Civil War).

To open the presidential comparison,

1.	Click on the Hall of Presidents icon on the Opening Screen. The gallery of presidential portraits opens.

2.	Click on the portrait of any president. A brief description of the president is read for you.

3.	Click on the president's nameplate or portrait to access more options.

4.	Click the Compare Presidents icon. A table is displayed on screen.

To use the comparison table,

Scroll across the table to read a row of details about one particular president or compare him to other presidents by column.

(For instructions on scrolling left and right, click on Tips on Scrolling).

At any time you can access the details about a single president. To do so,

1.	Move your cursor to the list of presidents on the left side of the screen.

2.	When the pointer cursor changes to a hand cursor, click on a president's name. You'll be returned to the president's portrait where you can hear a brief description of his life. For more information, click the president's nameplate or his portrait. (Click on Opening the Hall of Presidents, for more information.)

To close the comparison grid,

1.	Click on the curled page at the bottom of the list of presidents. This returns you to the previous screen.

For more information, see:

Studying a President

Basic Information


Overview Article

An article associated with a map that supplies general information about the data depicted on the map. An Overview article can be accessed by clicking the Overview Article icon (a hot-air balloon) on the icon bar of the Map window or by selecting Overview Article from the Articles menu.


People Article

An article associated with a map that provides a biographical sketch of a person related to the events depicted on the map, or a list of linked articles, if there's more than one person. A People article can be accessed by clicking the People Article icon on the icon bar of the Map window or by selecting People Article from the Articles menu.


Document Article

An article associated with a map that provides the text of a historic document related to the events depicted on the map, or a list of linked articles, if there's more than one document. A Document article can be accessed by clicking the Document Article icon from the icon bar of the Map window or selecting Document Article from the Articles menu.


 Time Line Year Articles

When you open a time line, the main time line that runs through the middle of your screen is marked with the years covered by that time line. Each of these four-digit dates (1775, for example) functions like an article icon. Just click on the date to open a Year article. A Year article lists and links to all the articles that fall within the selected year.

For example, if you want to study what was happening in America in 1865,

1.	Open the Civil War time line and locate the 1865 marker on the main time line.

2.	Click on the year. The program opens the 1865 article, listing all the articles that mention the year 1865.

3.	Select any article of interest and click on it to open it.

When you're finished studying that item, select Back from the Links menu (or click the Previous Linked Article icon) to return to the 1865 Year article and select another article.

When you're through with the Year article, close it the way you would any other article. (For details, click on Closing Screens.)

For more information, see:

Accessing Items from a Time Line

Working with Articles

Exiting Time Lines

Working with Maps


 Search Dialog Box

When you click the Finder icon on the Opening Screen, a Search dialog box appears where you can define the items that you want the program to locate for you.

To conduct the search.

1.	In the Query field at the top of the dialog, enter a word or phrase such as the name of the person, place, or event that you want to research.

At this point, you can begin the search process. However, the Search dialog offers you several options to further define what information you're seeking. This will speed the search process and reduce the number of items from which you have to choose. If you want to refine the search, complete the following areas in the dialog box BEFORE clicking the Find button.

Categories

In the Categories box, mark the categories that are appropriate for your search. (For example, if you only want a map, just mark that option.) Categories can be marked and unmarked by clicking on the category name.

Search Limits

In the Search Limits box, indicate whether you want the program to search for your word or phrase only in titles, or throughout all the text included in the program. (This includes text in a slide show or video.)

To further refine the search, you can check the option to do a Title Search by First Word only.

For example, if your enter the word Thomas and mark the First Word option, the Finder will locate the article on Thomas, George, a Union general during the Civil War. However, if you leave the First Word option blank, the program will have to search through all the words in all the titles, and may come up with more articles containing the word Thomas in the title, such as Edison, Thomas, as well as the article on Thomas, George.

Match

In the Match box, mark whether you want the program to search for Words or Partial Words. This is handy if you're not sure of the spelling of a term or name. For example, entering John in the Query field and selecting Partial Words will locate all references to John, Johnny, Johnson, Johnston, and Johnstone. Had you selected Words, the program would only locate references to John.

2.	When you're satisfied with the settings, click the Find button.

(If you plan to do several searches, you may wish to click the Save Search Settings box at the bottom of the dialog. With the box checked, the next time you open the Finder, your choices for the Categories, Search Limits, and Match areas will be marked.)

The program will search through all the categories you've selected and present a Search Results dialog box with its findings. (Click on Operating the Finder for more information.)

NOTE:  At any time, you can click Cancel on the Search dialog to return to your original place in the program. A Search Results dialog will display its findings up until that point.

For more information, see:

Opening Maps

Viewing Articles

Finding Map Items


 Select Picture Dialog Box

When you click the Picture Album from the Opening Screen, a Select Picture dialog appears where you can choose a picture to view.

You can use the scroll bars (or the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard) to scroll through the list of title of available pictures. To select a picture on the dialog, do one of the following:

Click on the desired picture title with your mouse.

Use the up and down arrow keys.

Type the first few letters of the picture's name into the input field above the list.

After you've selected the desired picture, click OK. The selected picture opens in its own window. (You can also double click on a picture on the Select Picture dialog box to select it and open it in one step. In this case, you do not need to click the OK button.)

NOTE:  At any time, you can click Cancel on the Select Background dialog to return to your original place in the program.

For more information see:

Viewing 3D Images


 Exiting the Hall of Presidents

To exit the Hall of Presidents, click the curl at the bottom, right-hand corner of the screen. You may have to click more than one curl to return to the Opening Screen.

If you're in the Compare Presidents segment, the curl is located at the bottom of the presidents' names -- the far left column.

For more information, see:

Closing Screens


Control-Menu Box

This button in the upper left corner of most windows, lets you move, resize, and close the window.


Title Bar

This bar, across the top of most windows and dialog boxes, displays the name of the window. Usually, you can click and hold the left mouse button on the title bar to drag the window to a different location on the desktop.


Minimize Button - Definition

This button in the upper right corner of most windows (just left of the maximize button) can be used to reduce the window to an icon on your desktop. Just click on the button to reduce the window without closing it.


Maximize/Restore Button - Definition

This button in the upper right corner of most windows (just right of the minimize button) can be used to enlarge the window to fill the entire desktop. Just click on the button to fill the screen. After you enlarge a window using the maximize button, the button is replaced by a Restore button. Click on the Restore button ( [image]) to return the window to its previous size.


Legend - Definition
Legend

This box, which may appear on a Map window, provides additional information about the map and items displayed on it. If you prefer to hide a map legend, select Display Legend from the Options menu of the Map window. If this option is checked the legend will appear. Select it again to remove the check mark and hide the legend. You can also click the Legend icon to display or hide the legend. For more information, click on Legends.


Scroll Bar
Scroll Bars

A horizontal bar displayed at the bottom and a vertical bar displayed on the right edge of a window whose contents cannot be entirely viewed on screen.

You can use the arrow buttons to move one line at a time or click and hold an arrow button to scroll continuously. You can also click and drag the box on the scroll bar to move to another location within the window. Click above or below the box on the scroll bar to jump about one screen.

For more information, click on Scroll Bars or Tips on Scrolling.


Status Bar

This bar along the bottom of a Map window, displays important information as you work with maps. It includes:

A help segment on the left with hints for operating the program.

A distance meter in the center that displays the distance between two or more points when you use the distance measurement feature.

A latitude/longitude indicator on the right that displays the location of a selected map item, such as a city.

For more information, click on Status Bar.


Map Item

This is an item either provided with the program or created by the user to further explain the map. Map items, such as rivers, cities, regions, battles, and events can be marked with just a name, just an icon, or both. For more information, click on Working with Map Items.


Rewind

Rewinds the slide show. Click and hold the mouse button to rewind to the beginning of the slide show or click and release the mouse to rewind one slide at a time. You can also restart the slide show by closing the slide show, selecting the Slide Shows icon from the Opening Screen, and selecting the slide show again.


Slide Stop
Stop

Stops or pauses the slide show. Use this option if you want to examine a slide more closely. When you're done, click the Play button to continue the slide show or click the Rewind button to review what you've just heard.


Fast Forward

Advances the slides quickly. You will not be able to hear the narration with this option. When you reach the point you wish to listen to, click the Stop button, then click the Play button.


Play

Starts the slide show, with narration, after you have clicked the Rewind, Stop, or Fast Forward buttons.


Linked Article

This text, displayed in a different color than other text, indicates that there is a related article "linked" to the current article. You can click on the colored text to jump directly to the linked article. The linked article is usually about the subject highlighted by the colored text. You can also add your own links. For more information, click on Linking Text to an Article.


Linked Picture

This icon indicates a picture link. Picture links are included in many of the program's articles. You can click on the icon to jump directly to the linked picture. The linked picture usually relates to the subject of the text in front of the icon. When you're done viewing a picture, you can close it and return to the article by double-clicking the Control-menu box icon in the top left corner of the Picture window.


 Studying a President

To access information about any U.S. president who served through 1870,

1.	Click on the Hall of Presidents icon on the Opening Screen. A gallery of presidential portraits appears.

2.	Click the portrait of the president that you want to study. A brief description of the president is read for you.

3.	Click on the president's name plate or portrait to access other information. You can choose to:

Learn about the Election.  Click this option to open a map that displays the results of the applicable presidential election. From the map you can access the Overview Article to read more about the election, the People Article to read about others who played significant roles in the election, and the Document Article to read the selected president's inaugural address.

Read about the Man.  Click this option to read a three-part summary of information about the selected president. The article includes sections on His Profile (lists of the president's family, background, physical characteristics, occupation, last words, etc.) His Milestones (lists of military and government achievements), and His Story (detailed history of his life and accomplishments).

NOTE:  This article can be edited, just like any other article, so you can add additional information to it. Click on Editing Articles for instructions.

View a Slide Show.  Click this option to view and listen to a slide show about the president.

Compare Presidents.  Click this option to compare the selected president with other presidents of early America. For details on using this feature, click Comparing Presidents

For more information, see:

Exiting the Hall of Presidents

Working with Articles

Working with Maps


 Viewing 3D Images with Glasses

The stereo images in the 3D Gallery will come alive with the viewing glasses (viewer) provided with American History Explorer. Tips for positioning the stereo viewer are offered below, followed by instructions for viewing the images.

Tips for Positioning the Stereo Viewer

Place the viewer on the bridge of your nose.

If you wear eyeglasses, hold the viewer in front of your glasses.

Experiment with the viewer to find your comfort level.

Tilt the viewer back and forth or rock it up and down slightly as you're viewing the stereo images.

Viewing Stereo Images

Once you've positioned the viewer, click on the 3D Gallery and select the image you wish to view. Then follow the steps below.

1.	Position yourself so the stereo image on your monitor is centered in front of your nose.

2.	Moving your face toward the monitor, close one eye and move your head forward and backward to find your best focal point.

3.	Open both eyes and the stereo image should merge and come alive!

If you aren't able to see a fused image, try moving the viewer back and forth on your nose, tilt it back and forth or rock it up and down slightly until the fusion is accomplished.

NOTE:  For a good 3D "practice" image, refer to Page 9 of your Information Guide.

For instructions on viewing a stereo image without the special viewer, click on Free Viewing.


 Free Viewing 3D Images

In addition to viewing the 3D Images with a viewer, you can also "free view the images without the viewer. Free viewing is a learned skill -- you teach your brain to see what you want it to see.

Before attempting this with the computer images, following the steps below for a practice session.

1.	Look at the illustration on page 9 in your Information Guide to determine a normal comfortable reading distance. (Because of differing visions, this distance will vary with everyone). Remember that distance.

2.	Looking out a window, stare at an object (tree or house) about 100 yards away. Relax. Pay attention to how your eyes feel as they are staring at the object.

3.	With your eyes fixed on the object, slowly bring the illustration into your field of vision at your correct reading distance, with your nose aligned with the center of the image. You should be viewing the image as though you were looking through the page, not at the page. The image will be out of focus, but concentrate on relaxing your eyes.

4.	Draw your attention to the two dots at the top of the illustration. If you're still on track, you will actually see three dots. Concentrate on the middle dot with your mind -- not your eyes! You will see the right and left dot in your peripheral vision, but focus (not with your eyes) on the center dot.

5.	Now, shift your attention to the alphabet letters without losing your focus.

You may not be successful on the first try, but don't give up. Practice again. Soon you'll be able to eliminate steps 1 and 2 and view any stereo image. When you apply this method to viewing stereo on your monitor, the viewing distance will be greater than with your viewer glasses.

For more information, see:

Viewing 3D Images with Glasses


Close Box

Double-click this box to close the Toolbox.


Toolbox Title Bar

This title bar functions as other full-size title bars. Use it to drag the Toolbox to a different location.


Toolbox Pointer Cursor

This cursor is used to draw lines and shapes, select graphics, and resize graphics. For details, click on Drawing Lines, Drawing Shapes,, Selecting Graphics, or Resizing Graphics.


Toolbox Hand Cursor

This cursor is used to select and move graphics. For details, click on Selecting Graphics, or Moving Graphics.


Circle Tool

This tool is used to draw circles and ovals. For details, click on Drawing Shapes.


Line Tool

This tool is used to draw straight lines. For details, click on Drawing Lines.


Polyline Tool

This tool is used to draw connected lines. For details, click on Drawing Lines.


Polygon Tool

This tool is used to draw irregular shapes. For details, click on Drawing Shapes.


Square Tool

This tool is used to draw squares and rectangles. For details, click on Drawing Shapes.


Arrowhead Tool

This tool is used to draw triangle-shaped arrowheads. They can be used to mark the direction of trails or just as individual markers. For details, click on Drawing Arrowheads.


Arrowhead Orientation Tool

This tool is used to point the arrowhead tool in a specific direction. For details, click on Drawing Arrowheads.


Toolbox Top Button

This tool is used to rearrange overlapping graphics. The graphic selected when you click this button will be placed on top of any overlapping graphic.


Toolbox Copy Button

Click this button to copy the selected graphic to the Windows Clipboard. For details, click on Copying Graphics.


Toolbox Delete Button

Click this button to delete the selected graphic. For details, click on Deleting Graphics.


Toolbox Line Button

Click this button, then click a color button to select a color for your lines.


Toolbox Fill Button

Click this button, then click a color button or a pattern button to select a background for your shapes.


Toolbox Colors

Click one of these buttons to select a color for lines or shapes.


Toolbox Patterns

Click one of these buttons to select a fill pattern for shapes.


No Fill Button

Click this button to select a clear (see-through) background for shapes. This allows you to place a circle or box on the map, yet still see the map items under the box.


Toolbox Line Widths

Click one of these buttons to select the thickness of your lines.


Toolbox Add Button

Click this button to add a graphic to a map. For instructions, click on Reusing Graphics.


 Drawing Arrowheads

You can use the arrowhead shape on the Toolbox to draw arrowheads for lines on a map (to illustrate a journey in a particular direction, for example). However, you should note that drawing an arrowhead is slightly different than drawing other shapes.

To draw an arrowhead, follow these steps:

1.	With the arrowhead shape selected, click on the arrowhead orientation buttons to the right of the arrowhead button to choose the desired direction for the arrowhead.

You can also select the line width, line color, and fill color for the arrowhead using special buttons on the Toolbox. To select the line width, position the cursor on the correct width and click. To choose a line color, select the Line option above the color palette then click on the desired color. To select a fill color, select the Fill option above the color palette then click the desired color. Click No Fill if you want the background to display behind the shape.

2.	Position the cursor where you want the arrowhead to appear. Note that when you move the cursor onto the map, it changes to an arrowhead indicator. This will help you position the arrowhead correctly on the map.

3.	When you've placed the cursor where you want the arrowhead to appear, click once with your mouse. The shape appears on your map where indicated.

Once you've placed an arrowhead on a map, you can copy, move, delete, and resize it as you would any other shape.

For more information see:

Drawing Shapes

Drawing Lines

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Arranging Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box


 Map Window Icon Bar

The Map window icon bar is located at the top of the window (or, if you installed the Read/Write version of the program, just below the menu bar.).

You can click on the icon buttons, instead of selecting menu options, to access frequently used American History Explorer features. For example, if you have a Map window open, you can open the Select Map dialog box by clicking the left button on the icon bar rather than choosing Open from the Map menu.

Below is an illustration of  the Map window icon bar. Click on any of the buttons for a description of its operation.

NOTE:  If you use the Read Only installation option, you will NOT have access to the following icons:
Arrow Cursor, Hand Cursor, Edit Map Item, Edit or Create Map Graphics.

For more information, see:

Article Window Icon Bar

Menus

Installation Options

Screen Elements

Menu Bar

Map Item list

Map window

Legend

Articles

Scroll Bars

Status Bar

Toolbox

Minimize Button

Maximize Button


 Article Window Icon Bar

The Article window icon bar. is located at the top of the window (or, if you installed the Read/Write version of the program, just below the menu bar.).

You can click on the icon buttons, instead of selecting menu options, to access frequently used American History Explorer features. For example, if you have an Article window open, you can open the Select Article dialog box by clicking the left button on the icon bar rather than choosing Open from the Article menu.

Below is an illustration of  the Article window icon bar. Click on any button for a description of its operation.

For more information see:

Map Window Icon Bar

Menus

Installation Options

Screen Elements

Menu Bar

Map Item list

Map window

Legend

Articles

Scroll Bars

Status Bar

Toolbox

Minimize Button

Maximize Button


 Settings Dialog Box

Many of the optional settings for the American History Explorer are available in the Settings dialog box. From this box you can set the scrolling speed of maps, distance units on maps, and the color of article links.

To modify program settings,

1.	Click anywhere on the words American History Explorer on the Opening Screen to open the "About" box. (This animated screen displays acknowledgments to the team that developed the program. )

2.	Click the Settings button at the bottom of the About box to open the Settings dialog.

3.	Select the feature you wish to modify and mark your choice as explained below.

Distance Units -- Specify whether you want the program to display distances between points on a map in miles or kilometers. (Distance is displayed on the status bar at the bottom of a Map window.)

Text Hotlink Color -- Specify the color for words in an article that are linked to other articles.

Scrolling Speed -- Specify how fast you want to be able to scroll through maps. You can enter any number from 1 to 10. Lower numbers allow you to scroll line by line, whereas higher numbers scroll several lines at a time.

NOTE:  Depending on the type of computer you have, very low numbers may make the program appear to run slowly. To scroll more quickly, you can increase the number of scroll units to find a speed that is comfortable for you.

Display Opening Video--American History Explorer will play introductory music and a brief video every time the program starts, if this check box is marked. Click on the check box to remove (or replace) the X.

Display Program Tour--American History Explorer will present an overview of American history and display a quick tour of the program features every time the program starts, if this check box is marked. Click on the check box to remove (or replace) the X.

Display Warning When Exiting Program--American History Explorer will display a warning every time you attempt to exit the program, if this check box is marked. Click on the check box to remove (or replace) the X.

4.	When you're finished making choices, click OK to close the dialog and save your settings.

For more information, see:

Fonts

Displaying Legends

Zooming In and Out on Maps


 Moving Text to Word Processors

If you wish, you can move text from American History Explorer articles to a word processor, making it easier for you to add to and edit the information. This may be helpful, for example, if you are writing a report or making an outline.

To move the text of an entire article to a word processing application,

1.	Open the article containing text you wish to use. (Click on Viewing Articles if you want step by step instructions.)

2.	Choose Select All from the Edit menu to highlight all the text in the article.

3.	Click the Copy Article icon on the icon bar (or choose Select All from the Edit menu then pick Copy from the Edit menu). This places the text on the Windows Clipboard.

4.	Open your word processing application (such as Word for Windows). If your word processor is already running, switch to it. (You can switch between Windows applications by holding down the Alt key on your keyboard and pressing the Tab key until you access the program you want.)

Note: It is not necessary to close American History Explorer before switching to your word processor.

5.	In the word processing program, open the new or existing document where you plan to insert the text from American History Explorer.

6.	Move your cursor to the point where you want to place the text and select Paste from the Edit menu of your word processor. (Refer to the user's guide for your word processor, if necessary.) The text from American History Explorer will be inserted into your document.

To move only a portion of text from an article to a word processor,

1.	Open the article containing the text you wish to use. (Click on Viewing Articles if you want step by step instructions.)

2.	Hold down the mouse button as you drag your cursor over the text you wish to move. The selected text will be highlighted.

3.	Select Copy from the Edit menu to copy the text to the Windows Clipboard.

4.	Follow steps 4, 5, and 6 in the section above to open your word processor and paste the text in your document.

For more information see:

Editing Articles

Working with Articles


 Changing Link Color

Many of the articles in American History Explorer contain links to other articles. The text for these links appears in a different color than the rest of the article. If you wish, you can change this link color for all articles.

To set the link color,

1.	Select the About... option on the Help menu of any Article or Map window to open the "About" box. You can also open the box by clicking anywhere on the words American History Explorer on the Opening Screen. (This animated screen displays acknowledgments to the team that developed the program. )

2.	Click the Settings button at the bottom of the About box to open the Settings dialog.

3.	Under the Text hotlink color option, click on your choice of the colors displayed. (You may need to scroll to see all your choices.)

4.	Click OK to close the dialog and save your settings.

You can change the link color whenever you wish. It will apply to all article links until you change it again.

See also:

Fonts


 About the Musicians

Songs in the American History Explorer Song Book are performed by Bobby Horton and Linda Russell. For more about each of these artists and the songs included in the program, select one of the topics below.

Bobby Horton

Civil War Songs

Linda Russell

Colonial Songs


 Bobby Horton

Bobby Horton combines his musical talent with original lyrics of Civil War tunes to express history in a form you probably won't find in history books. Based on extensive, historic research, his music comes alive with the emotions of Civil War soldiers, their families, and the battles won and lost.

Realizing that music was an escape from the horrors of the bloody war and a source of hope, Bobby selected tunes written by those who lived through the war. He purposefully blends the music and lyrics to develop empathy for the feelings of men and women in both the South and the North.

Bobby's musical credits include contributions to two epic public television series: the Civil War and Baseball. In these recordings, Bobby plays all the instruments, sings all the parts, and records everything in his home in Birmingham, Alabama.

For more information, call  (205) 967-6426 or write to 3430 Sagebrook Lane, Birmingham, AL, 35243.

All Civil War musical selections in American History Explorer were chosen from these Bobby Horton recordings:

Homespun Songs of the C.S.A., Volume 1

Homespun Songs of the C.S.A., Volume 2

Homespun Songs of the C.S.A., Volume 4

Homespun Songs of the Union Army, Volume 1

Homespun Songs of the Union Army, Volume 2

Homespun Songs of the Union Army, Volume 3

For details on the songs, including the composers and lyricists, click on Civil War Songs.

For more information, see:

Linda Russell

Colonial Songs


 Linda Russell

Linda Russell's gift is creating musical portraits of specific eras or individuals in American history.

She illuminates these portraits with ballads, dance tunes, and broadsides. Bringing musical life to America's past, she also writes her own original songs.

Linda has been a balladeer for the National Park Service at Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City. She also has performed for radio broadcasts and at historical sites. She plays guitar, mountain and hammered dulcimers, penny whistle, and limberjack.

For more information, call (212) 666-2656 or write to: 250 W. 99th Street, Apt. 8C, New York, NY 10025.

The Colonial musical selections in American History Explorer were chosen from these Linda Russell recordings:

Roses of the Garden

The Good Old Colony Days

For details on the songs, including the composers and lyricists, click on Colonial Songs.

For more information, see:

Bobby Horton

Civil War Songs


 Civil War Songs

Following are descriptions of Civil War songs performed by Bobby Horton and included in the American History Explorer Song Book.

Everybody's Dixie - General Albert Pike of Arkansas wrote these fighting lyrics to Daniel Emmett's popular melody. Presented here are three of General Pike's seven verses. (Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Fiddle and Vocal)

Maryland, My Maryland - James Ryder Randall wrote this poem in 1861. It was sung extensively in the early war period, but its popularity waned after the unsuccessful invasion of Maryland by General Lee's army in September of 1862. (Guitar, Trumpets and Vocals)

Rose of Alabama - This 1855 minstrel tune was very popular in the 19th century. (Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle, Guitar, and Vocals)

Stonewall Jackson's Way - This tribute to Stonewall Jackson and his men was written by John W. Palmer. The second part of the presentation is a simulation of Confederate musicians marching by. (Fifes, Drums and Vocals)

The Bonnie Blue Flag - Every soldier who wore the gray knew and loved this song. Harry W. MacCarthy wrote these lyrics to the old Irish melody, The Irish Jaunting Car. It was popular from the beginning to the end of the Southern Confederacy. (Trumpet, Drums, Guitar, Fifes, and Vocal)

Oh, I'm a Good Old Rebel - Many Southerners were quite bitter after the fall of the Confederacy, the devastation of the country, and the nightmare of the Reconstruction period. One such bitter veteran, Innes Randolph, revealed his true feelings in this tune. The melody is the old melody Joe Bowers - an Irish tune. (Guitar, Fiddles and Vocal)

Wait for the Wagon - This popular 1850's minstrel melody was composed by R.P. Buckley; the lyrics presented here were made-up in the infancy of the Confederacy by unknown authors. (Guitar, Trumpet, Drums, Banjo, Mandolin, Vocals)

Jine the Cavalry - J.E.B. Stuart by reputation was the singing-est Confederate of them all. He carried a banjo player, Sam Sweeney (whose brother, Joel, invented the five-string banjo in 1831), and Mulatto Bob (Fiddle and bones) everywhere he went. Music was always found in his camps. This is J.E.B.'s theme song. (Banjo, Fiddlesticks, Mandolin, Vocals)

The Battle of Shiloh Hill - This one of the truly great songs of the war! M.B. Smith, a member of the 2nd Texas Volunteer Infantry, wrote these powerful lyrics to describe the horrors he witnessed at the two day Battle of Shiloh (April 1, 1862). The melody is The Wandering Sailor. (Fiddle, Penny Whistle, Harp and Vocals)

Battle Cry of Freedom - This very important tune was one of George Roof's many compositions. Picture if you will: A soldier begins playing his banjo and singing Battle Cry, and one by one, other boys join in for a rousing finish. (Banjo, Sticks, Mandolin, Fiddle, Whistle, Drums and Vocals)

Weeping Sad and Lonely - This song by Charles Carroll Sawyer may have been the most popular song of the period. It touched Yankee and Rebel alike as the war slowed and casualties mounted. The desire for peace had to be expressed -- this tune was the perfect vehicle. (Guitar, Mandolin and Vocals)

The Battle Hymn of the Republic - Julia Ward Howe penned these words which became the most popular Union fight song. All military bands played it and most all soldiers knew the words. The setting for this arrangement is in camp -- one private begins on the banjo and is joined along the way by other fellows. (Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle, Guitar, Drums, Penny Whistle and Vocals)

When Johnny Comes Marching Home - Patrick S. Gilmore was the band master of all Union armies when he wrote this tune. It is and has been a well known and popular tune which has come to symbolize the return of Americans from war. (Guitar, Fiddles, Bouzouki and Vocals)

Tramp, Tramp, Tramp - This George Root tune gave hope of eventual freedom to P.O.W.s and their families at home -- in fact, this song is subtitled The Prisoners' Hope. This may have been Mr. Root's bigger tune. (Cornets, Baritones, Tuba, Drum and Vocals)

For more information, see:

Linda Russell

Colonial Songs

Bobby Horton


 Colonial Songs

Following are descriptions of Colonial period songs performed by Linda Russell and included in the American History Explorer Song Book.

The Meeting of the Waters (traditional) - The original name for this old Irish tune was The Old Head of Dennis. Thomas Moore wrote new words for the music in 1807.

The Golden Vanity (broadside) - Traces its origins to the days of the Spanish Armada. This news song has remained popular for four hundred years. Music had functions beyond entertainment. It served as an important mode of communication. Broadsides were topical songs containing anything from the latest news story to political ideas and propaganda. They were sold in the streets for two pennies a sheet. The author would simply have the new words printed and at the bottom indicate which popular tune to use.

Farewell to Old Ireland - Some of the best anti-war songs are Irish. The Irish constantly found themselves conscripted into an army in which they had no stake. So they fought with the British, but felt none of the glories of victory. They saw and felt the agony of war and sang about it. This song is that of an Irish recruit in the British army and his journey to America to fight the Boys of Liberty.

Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Me? - This was originally a British song in the French and Indian War but it had great appeal to the ragged colonials during the Revolution. Our troops, with their tattered coats and ill fitting trousers, made a motley presentation. The American army could barely feed the men let alone clothe them. Conditions were so bad and the army so demoralized that desertion was not uncommon. At Morristown in 1781, there was a mutiny of the Pennsylvania line followed by others in the ensuing months. At one point 1,500 troops marched to Philadelphia to present their grievances before Congress. It truly must have been difficult trying to survive the severe winters of those years. But they wrapped their rags around themselves and persevered. This ditty reveals their sense of humor about their scarecrow demeanor.

Dog and Gun - Music was used in all facets of military life. A fifer and drummer helped the muster captain garner new recruits. On the battlefield, noisy and choked with smoke, a fife tune could tell you whether to advance or retreat. Camp life was often dominated by the music. There were tunes that told you when to waken, when to eat, when to sleep. Doubtless the fife was not always music to their ears! Military tunes helped keep up the soldier's pace and spirit on the march. A tune like Dog and Gun could inspire the weary troops to rise above their fatigue and carry on.

Massachusetts Hop - The hammered dulcimer is an ancient instrument with its roots in second century Persia. It has been played in many different cultures throughout the ages, and in the Colonies its bright, bell-like sound was popular for dance music.

What a Court Hath Old England - Down Derry Down was originally a British tune. The Americans stole it and put their own words to it and there ensued a battle of the songs during which both sides put out several broadsides to the tune attacking each other. An angry young man in Boston penned these words in 1775 in response to tax on tea and British encroachment on Colonial fishing rights in the north Atlantic. It represented a radical sentiment for its time; calling for immediate independence and for any Englishman who gets in the way to be hanged from the Liberty Tree. The names in the first verse, Chatham, Camdem, Burke, etc. were members of Parliament who were sympathetic to the Colonial cause.

The Derby Ram - George Washington never claimed to have much musical ability. In a fan letter to Francis Hopkinson praising the author's latest songs, he wrote, I can neither sing one of the songs, nor raise a note on any instrument. But he loved music and this ancient nonsense song was reputedly one of his favorites.

Buttermilk Hill - Since time began men have been going off to war and women have been left behind to wait and wonder. This song comes from Ireland where the red dress was a symbol of faithfulness. The refrain was originally Gaelic, meaning come away with me, my love. When the song got to America in the 1750's it sounded like nonsense and that's just what it became. Sung especially in the Hudson River Valley during the Revolution, it expresses deep feelings of yearning and loneliness that are common to human experience in every century.

The Road to Boston - The alliance between the Colonies and France during the Revolution had dividends beyond military and moral support. French dancing masters swarmed into the Colonies and set up classes in the towns and villages, schooling young ladies and gentlemen in the latest dances. Their influence was strongly felt not only through the gentility and culture they brought to the Colonies but in their introduction of the quadrille -- a dance for four couples that was to become the American square dance.

In the Good Old Colony Days - It's a rare folk song whose origin can be dated to a very specific time, but this might be one of them. An earlier version of this song began, In good King Charles' day when we lived under a King. Since there were only eleven years in British history that England had no monarch we can guess that this song springs from that period in the 1600's of Parliamentarian Rule under Cromwell. Once in America, the first line was changed and we have a merry, irreverent drinking song that spans two continents and four centuries.

Brandywine Quickstep - During the Revolution dances were composed to celebrate battles and military heroes: Burgoyne's Defeat, Clinton's Retreat, The Green Mountain Volunteers, and this sprightly tune, The Brandywine Quickstep. The title is probably a reference to the Continental Army's hasty retreat from the battle of Brandywine.

Hangman - In the 18th century England it was nearly a capital offense to be poor, and hanging was a common remedy. The gallows was the answer to a host of crimes, no matter how minor. Details have been lost over the decades, and therefore we don't know what this particular young lady did to find herself in this intense predicament. We do know that she had a very unpleasant family!

The Water is Wide - The plaintive melody and bittersweet sentiment have made this one of the best known and best loved of the old English songs.

For more information, see:

Bobby Horton

Civil War Songs

Linda Russell


Broadsides

Broadsides were topical songs containing anything from the latest news to political ideas and propaganda written for popular tunes and sold for two pennies a sheet on the streets.


Close Menu Button

Click this button to close a map legend.


Open Map Icon

Accesses a list of existing maps from which you can select a map to open.


Close Map Icon

Closes the map in the active window.


Copy Map Icon

Copies the map in the active window to the Windows Clipboard.


Slide Show Icon

Plays the slide show associated with the current map.


Overview Article Icon

Displays the Overview article associated with the current map.


People Article Icon

Displays the People article associated with the current map. If there is more than one People article associated with the map, the program displays a list. You can click on any name to open a brief biography of that individual.


Document Article Icon

Displays the Document article associated with the current map. If there is more than one Document article associated with the map, the program displays a list. You can click on any item to access the text of that document.


Search Icon

Opens the Place/Names dialog where you can view a list of items associated with the current map (or other maps), select an item to add to the map, and perform various other search and display tasks.


Arrow Cursor Icon

Activates an arrow cursor you can use in several ways, such as to select an item, resize a graphic on a map, or calculate the distance between two or more points on a map.


Hand Cursor Icon

Activates a hand cursor you can use to move map items and graphics.


Print Map Icon

Accesses the Print dialog where you can enter the desired print settings and print the current map.


Legend Icon

Displays or hides the map legend.


Edit Map Item Icon

Allows you to edit a selected map item to change the name, icon, or article attached to it. You can also modify display characteristics and change the item's location.


Edit or Create Map Graphics Icon

Displays/hides the graphics Toolbox.


Zoom Icon

Accesses the Zoom feature where you can set the zoom level for the map. If you have an area selected on the map, clicking this button zooms in on the selected area only.


Help Icon

Accesses online Help for information on program operations and product support, as well as information about American History Explorer and the Settings dialog box.


Open Article Icon

Accesses a list of existing articles (the Select Article dialog box). You can scroll through the list and double-click on any one to open it.


Close Article Icon

Closes the article in the active window.


Copy Article Icon

Copies the open article to the Windows Clipboard.


Find Word Icon

Opens a Find dialog so you can pinpoint any word of text in the open article.


Previous Linked Article Icon

Accesses the last article in a series of linked articles that you viewed.


Next Linked Article Icon

Accesses the next article in a series of linked articles that you viewed previously.


Print Article Icon

Prints the open article.


Font Icon

Opens the Font dialog box where you can modify the font of text in all articles or customize selected text in the current article by making it bold, italic, or underlined.


 Print Setup Dialog Box

This dialog box appears when you select Print Setup from the Map menu of a Map window or from the Article menu of an Article window (if you're using the Read/Write installation option). You can also access this dialog when you're using the Read Only installation option by clicking the Print Map (or Print Article) icon from the icon bar.

The Print Setup dialog box allows you to identify or change the printer (and its settings) that you use to print your maps and/or articles.

By default, the printer used for printing American History Explorer items will be the printer you have selected in the Windows Control Panel. However, you can choose any other printer you have installed to run with Windows.

To identify or change your printer,

1.	Accept the printer indicated in the Default Printer box or

Click the down arrow at the end of the Specific Printer field to view your options and choose a printer. (To install additional printers, see your Windows manual.)

2.	In the Orientation box, click Portrait to print in a vertical format, such as a letter. Click Landscape to print in a horizontal format.

3.	Choose the paper size and source by first clicking on the scroll button to display a list of options, then clicking on the item you want.

4.	Click the Options button to specify other Windows printing options such as the type of dithering and intensity. Your choices will vary, depending on the printer you have selected. For more information on these options, click the Help button in the Options dialog box or refer to the manual for your printer.

For more information, see:

Printing

Moving Text to Word Processors


Read Only

One of the file attributes used by MS-DOS to identify a file and control the kinds of tasks you can perform with the file. A read-only attribute prevents a file from being changed. It differs from a Read/Write file which CAN be changed. Refer to your Microsoft Windows User's Guide for more information.For more information click on Installation Options.


Read/Write

A designation for a file indicating that you can both read the data and change (write over) the data. It differs from a read-only file, which can NOT be changed. Refer to your Microsoft Windows User's Guide for more information. For more information click on Installation Options.


Dithering

Dithering indicates the degree of resolution or fineness of lines in a printed object or text. An object with no dithering will be black and white, with no shades of gray.


Intensity

Degree of lightness or darkness of printed text or objects.


 Arranging Graphics

If you want to place certain graphics on top of others, you can do this by using the Top button on the Toolbox.

To place one graphic on top of the other:

1. 	Select the desired graphic.

2.	Click the Top button on the Toolbox. The desired graphic will be placed on top of all the graphics it overlaps.

For more information see:

Inserting Graphics into a Map

Selecting Graphics

Copying Graphics

Moving Graphics

Deleting Graphics

Resizing Graphics

Reusing graphics with the Add Graphics dialog box

Drawing Lines

Drawing Shapes


 Program Tour

The first time you run American History Explorer, (and every time until you change the settings), the program will present a musical introduction followed by a Program Tour. This five-minute tour provides an overview of American history, followed by a brief description of the features included in the program.

You can interrupt the Program Tour at any time by pressing any key on the keyboard. A dialog will appear, asking whether you want to finish viewing the Program Tour. If you click Yes, the Tour will continue where it left off. If you click No, another dialog appears, asking if you want the tour displayed every time you run the program. If you wish to see the tour the next time you start American History Explorer, click Yes. Click No to disable the feature.

You can also disable the Program Tour (and the opening video) by removing the X from the appropriate check box in the Settings dialog box.

For more information, see:

Settings Dialog Box


Contents
 Product Support Contents

Thank you for purchasing American History Explorer for Windows. The first thing you'll want to do is Register American History Explorer for Windows.

Parsons Technology addresses customer needs and concerns in two departments:

If you are having a problem operating the American History Explorer program, there are a variety of options available to help you resolve your difficulty. The Trouble Shooting Procedure includes a list of steps you should follow before contacting Parsons Technology to resolve any problem(s) you may have.

The Problem Report is the form you should complete before contacting Parsons Technology's Technical Support Department, in the event you are unable to resolve your difficulty and need further assistance.

For more information see:

Registering American History Explorer for Windows

Purchasing Other Products from Parsons Technology

To return to the main screen of the American History Explorer online Help, see:

Help Contents


 Trouble Shooting Procedure

Whenever you encounter a problem with the program or have a software-related question, follow this procedure:

1.	Access American History Explorer's online Help (F1). This system presents operational information and is often context sensitive, reflecting a topic related to your current location and function.

2.	Refer to the Information Guide you received with your program package and the contents and index within the Online Guide for specific topic and page numbers.

3.	Refer to any README file included on your program disk. This file contains current information about American History Explorer.

4.	Use an automated service to get help. See the When You Need Help section at the front of your User's Guide for details or click on these topics:

CompuServe Information Service

GEnie

5.	If you still cannot resolve your problem, contact Parsons Technology's Technical Support. However, before you contact Parsons Technology, please fill out the Problem Report form. This will save you time on the telephone and is especially helpful if you cannot be at your computer when you call. Additionally, a technician may ask you to send this form.

To display the Problem Report form, click the button below. When the form appears, choose Print Topic from the File menu at the top of the window to print it.

For more information see:

Product Support - Customer Service and Technical Support

Problem Report

Registering American History Explorer for Windows

Purchasing Other Products from Parsons Technology

To return to the main screen of the American History Explorer online Help, see:

Help Contents


Problem Report

Please print and complete this form BEFORE contacting Parsons Technology for Technical Support. To print the form, choose Print Topic from the File menu at the top of the window.

Registered Customer Information

Customer #:                            Today's Date:

Name:

Address:

City/State/Zip:

Day phone: (       )                   FAX number: (       )

Program Specific Information

Program and version:

Date ordered:                          Date replaced:

Please answer the following questions:

1.	Was there an error code or message?               (    )Yes        (    )No

If yes, please indicate the number and message including error address and

file name (if any).

Code #:                   Message:

2.	Is the computer locking up?                       (    )Yes        (    )No

3.	Any problems installing?                          (    )Yes        (    )No

Comments:

4.	How is the program being installed?

      ____from 3.5" disk    ____from 5.25" disk      ____from compact disk (CD)

5.	Did you use the DISKCOPY command on the original disks(s)?

                                                  (    )Yes        (    )No

Did any error messages occur?                     (    )Yes        (    )No

If yes, copy the messages here:

If no, make a DISKCOPY of all original disks to be certain the program is

not caused by a defective disk.

6.	Can you duplicate the problem at will?            (    )Yes        (    )No

On a separate sheet, please describe the specific problem and what

solutions you tried. In addition, list the steps which duplicate the

problem (if known). Add any other comments you feel are helpful.

System Profile

Please supply the following system information.

1.	Computer brand/model (check one):

   ___ PC XT       ___ PC AT       ___ 386       ___ 486       ___ Other PC

2.	DOS version and manufacturer (type VER at prompt):

You can find the information required for questions 3, 4, and 5 by choosing

Help Menu from the Windows Program Manager, then About Program Manager.

3.	Windows version:

4.	Operating mode (check one):          ___Standard            ___386 Enhanced

5.	Free memory and system resources:

6.	Other programs that you have running:

7.	We may need the contents of the files listed here. Please transmit the

information or have a printed copy in front of you when you call:

CONFIG.SYS

AUTOEXEC.BAT

WIN.INI

SYSTEM.INI

8.	Printer model (if necessary):

9.	Floppy drive size(s):                             ___ 5.25"        ___ 3.5"  ___ CD

10.	Monitor brand and model:

11.	Type of graphics card:     ___ HERC   ___ CGA   ___ EGA   ___ VGA   ___ MDA

___ Other (state type):

12.	Amount of available memory (CHKDSK C: at prompt):

Bytes available on disk:

Total bytes memory:

Bytes free:

XMS memory (MEM at prompt):


 Registering American History Explorer for Windows

When you purchase any product directly from Parsons Technology, you are automatically registered in our customer database. Therefore, you do not need to send in a registration card. Registration entitles you to the following registered customer benefits:

Free, unlimited technical support for current versions of all our programs.

Notices of updates to current products.

Announcements of new products.

If you purchased this product through a distributor, be sure to complete and return the customer registration card included with your packet. If you've misplaced the registration card, just click on the Display Form button below for a replacement. When the form appears, choose Print Topic from the File menu at the top of the window to print it.

You may also register your product by calling 1-800-847-6995 or faxing the registration card to us at 1-319-395-7449. Contact us at these same numbers with any address changes so that we can keep you current with Parsons Technology developments.

For more information see:

Product Support - Customer Service and Technical Support

Problem Report

Purchasing Other Products from Parsons Technology

Parsons Technology Product List

To return to the main screen of the American History Explorer online Help, see:

Help Contents


Parsons Technology Product Registration

We make it easy to register your product with three convenient methods:

Call 1-800-847-6995  Fax 1-319-395-7449	Print this form and mail it to:  Parsons Technology Registration  One Parsons Drive  PO Box 100  Hiawatha, IA 52233-9905
Name

Address

City                                                   State        Zip

Day Phone (      )                     Evening Phone (     )

Preferred disk size: [   ] 3.5" or [   ] 5.25"  or [   ] CD

If you are registering a Windows product, do you need 5.25" media?

[   ] Yes   [   ] No

Which of the following best describes you? (please check one)

[   ] I do not own Microsoft® Windows.

[   ] I own and use Microsoft® Windows.

[   ] I own Microsoft® Windows but don't use it.

Software use: (please check one)

[   ] I buy software for home use.

[   ] I buy software for business use.

[   ] I buy software for both uses.

Product Code: AMHSC


 Customer Service

At Parsons Technology, you--the customer--are first. If you need help with any of the following, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-319-395-0115 or fax us at 1-319-395-0466. A friendly representative will be happy to help you.

Questions or problems about your bill.

Defective user's guides.

Questions or problems about your shipment.

Questions about returning a product.

For more information see:

Problem Report

Registering American History Explorer for Windows

Technical Support

Purchasing Other Products from Parsons Technology

Parsons Technology Product List

To return to the main screen of the American History Explorer online Help, see:

Help Contents


 Technical Support

Registered customers get free technical support for current versions of all our products. (See Registering American History Explorer for Windows for information on registering.) We offer phone support that is best used for getting you up and running. In depth and on-going support is mainly and best provided via CompuServe and other online services, as detailed below. Because of time delays associated with corresponding by mail, we do not accept written correspondence.

Note: If you're hearing-impaired or have other physical disabilities that affect your communication, please mention this in your correspondence along with the method by which you prefer for us to respond to you.

Also use Technical Support to replace any defective disks.

Before you contact us for technical support ...

Have you checked the User's Guide, the online Help, and the README file supplied with the software disks for possible solutions?

Can you duplicate the problem at will? Please try to repeat the steps that initially caused the problem.

Have you tried booting with a system-formatted DOS disk and running the program? See your DOS manual if you need help formatting a system disk.

Print and complete the Problem Report

If you are unable to resolve the problem after checking the above items, please contact us by one of the following methods rather than by mail:

The best way to get help quickly is to talk to us on CompuServe Information Service.

GEnie provides same-day response.

Another good way to get help is to use the Telephone

SmartFax gives you even more information.

For more information see:

Customer Service

Registering American History Explorer for Windows

Purchasing Other Products from Parsons Technology

To return to the main screen of the American History Explorer online Help, see:

Help Contents


Purchasing Other Products
 Purchasing Other Products From Parsons Technology

Parsons Technology offers a full line of quality products, including our popular geneaology program Family Origins and new CD versions of our best-selling Bible study aids: QuickVerse Home Bible Study Collection and QuickVerse Bible Reference Collection. The Study Collection includes a complete online Bible with two translations, a topical index, and a Bible dictionary. The Reference Collection adds Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries and PC Bible Atlas, a computer-based atlas of the historical-geographical regions, cities, and countries found in the Bible.

In addition to these fine products, be sure to check out It's Legal, the program that generates wills, contracts, and other legal documents, and Golf Digest's ScoreCard for Windows, the program that lets you analyze virtually every part of your game! Click here to view a Product List.

To order Parsons Technology products, visit your local software retailer or contact our Orders Department toll-free 24 hours a day at 1-800-223-6925. Outside North America, call 1-319-395-7300. All our products come with an unconditional, money-back guarantee. If you're not satisfied with a program or our service, simply return your package within 30 days for a full refund (excluding shipping).  No questions asked!

Our order line staff are eager to help you, but they are not trained in the mechanics of our software. Please do not call them with technical support questions. They cannot transfer your call to Technical Support.

You can order products using online services, too. To shop using CompuServe Information Service, type GO PA. If you use GEnie, type PARTECH. You can also place orders using Delphi.

For more information see:

Product Support - Customer Service and Technical Support

Registering American History Explorer for Windows

To return to the main screen of the American History Explorer online Help, see:

Help Contents


 Parsons Technology Product List

These exciting software packages are also available from Parsons Technology. To order any program, or to receive a catalog of available products, call 1-800-223-6925.

Address Book for DOS or Windows - Forget crossing out old addresses and searching for scraps of paper, Address Book keeps track of all your addresses and phone numbers.

American History Explorer - A multimedia showcase of early American history including more than 100 narrated slide shows, six videos, 28 songs of the Colonial and Civil War periods, plus 1,300 articles, 1000 pictures, 100 3D pictures (and stereo viewing glasses), 93 maps, an educational game and an easy-to-use, point and click interface.

Atomic Clock - Synchronize your PC! Atomoic Clock sets your PC's internal clock with atomic precision by dialing the time services of your choice.

Bible Illustrator for Windows - More than 2,500 thought-provoking stories, quotes, and anecdotes to enliven your Bible messages.

Calendar Works for Windows - A comprehensive personal information manager with calendar design features and much, much more.

Car Buyers' Companion for Windows - Shop for a new model car on your PC! Packaged with Home Buyers' Companion.

Crosswords Plus for Windows - Introducing Crosswords Plus--the two-in-one program that gives you 100 puzzles and helps you create your own! A great teaching tool!

Daily Journal for Windows - Keep track of everything that happens in your business or personal life with this fun and-easy-to-use program.

Diet Analyst for Windows - Simpliefies the task of managing your family's health by analyzing the foods you eat, and keeps track of nutrients, cholesterol, exercise, and calories.

Education Planner for DOS or Windows - Make sure higher education stays within reach! Packaged with Retirement Planner.

Fabulous Fonts for Windows - 100 True Type fonts that will make your cards, posters, letters, memos, and presentations sizzle!

Family Origins for DOS or Windows - This complete genealogical program allows you to record and chart your family history for future generations.

Form Creator for DOS - The best way to produce professional-quality custom forms for businesses, homes, schools, and organizations.

Garden Planner for Windows - This start-to-finish planning tool lets you easily design a custom garden with your computer.  Choose the plants you'd like to include and get information on planting, germination, harvest times, and more!

Golf Digest ScoreCard for Windows - Track every round and know your latest handicap with this exciting program!

Holman Bible Dictionary for Windows - Enhance your understanding of every person, place, and event in the Bible with the Holman Bible Dictionary for Windows.. Search by topic or Bible reference to find exactly what you're looking for.

Home Buyers' Companion for Windows - Find out what size mortgage you can afford and avoid surprises at closing time. Packaged with Car Buyers' Companion.

Image Packages for DOS or Windows - Full-color graphics to add pizzazz to your cards, posters, and banners (print in shades of gray on black-and-white printers).

Interest Vision Professional for Windows - Powerful, easy-to-use tool for calculating and comparing loan and investment options.

It's Legal for DOS or Windows - Protect your family and everything you own with valid wills and other legal documents.

Medical Drug Reference for DOS or Windows - Gain instant access to critical information on more than 6,000 prescription and non-prescription drugs!

Membership Plus for DOS - The record-keeping software designed for churches, service groups, and more! Makes it easy to organize records, update membership lists, and track contributions.

MoneyCounts 9.0 for Windows - Control your personal and business finances with bookkepping accuracy and PC simplicity!

PC Bible Atlas for DOS or Windows -Colorful, detailed maps of the biblical holy lands with text describing historical events.

Personal Advocate - Address database and letter templates help you make the government, credit bureaus, and businesses work for you.

Personal Chef - The convenient way to collect and create all your favorite recipes. This database program comes with a large collection of recipes that you can modify or add to, laying the groundwork for your electronic cookbook.

Personal Home Inventory - Track important information about all your valuable possessions, including purchase and warranty information, credit card data, insurancy policies, maintenance schedules, and more!

Personal Tax Edge for DOS, Windows, or MacIntosh - An "excellent value" and easy-to-use tool for preparing and filing your federal income taxes.

Personal Tax Edge Preparer's Edition - An expanded version of the popular personal edition, designed for professionals who prepare returns for other tax payers.

Plain-Language Law Dictionary for DOS or Windows - Never be stumped by legal mumbo-jumbo again!

ProCalc 3D for DOS - ProCalc has more than 100 built-in functions, a powerful macro language, password protection, database capabilities, and more!

QuickVerse for DOS or Windows - Powerful online concordance for Bible study, comparison, and research. Choose from eight different Bible translations. (Extra translations sold separately.)

Resident Expert for All Versions of DOS - Never be stumped by DOS again! This online reference guide puts everything you need to know about DOS--including DOS 6.0--at your fingertips!

Resident Expert for Effective Writing - A comprehensive writer's reference, this program gives you a helpful writing style guide, an almanac of useful facts and figures, and a handbook that give you correct syllable division for about 20,000 words.

Retirement Planner for DOS or Windows - Plan now to keep your retirement years truly golden! Packaged with Education Planner.

Screen Dreams for Windows - This screen saver changes your computer monitor into a gallery of beautiful photographs depicting the theme of your choice: Holy Lands, Golf Digest, or Spectacular Adventures!

Super Sketch for Windows - Unleash your creativity with this powerful, easy-to-use drawing program! Super Sketch puts a fully array of shapes, symbols, colors, patterns, and borders at your fingertips to create charts, flyers, graphs, diagrams, and much more!

The Information Please Almanac Series for DOS or Windows - These unique reference tools put volumes of information right on your computer screen. Choose from The Information Please Almanac or The Information Please Business Almanac and Desk Reference.

ViruCide Plus for DOS or Windows - Protect your PC from more than 3,000 known and unknown viruses with this comprehensive protection package.

Wordquest for Windows - Wordquest gives you two exciting word games in one program! You can play the same puzzle two ways--either circle words in the classic WordMaze letter grid or play fill-in-the-blank with the challenging WordTangle puzzle. You can even create your own puzzles!

For more information on these and other Parsons software products, call 1-800-223-6925 (outside North America, call 1-319-395-7300) or see your local software retailer.

To return to the main screen of the American History Explorer online Help, see:

Help Contents


Defective Disk Replacement

Usually you receive one of these messages if you have a bad disk:

"General failure error reading drive ..."

"Sector not found ..."

"CRC error ..."

"Bad sector ..."

"Unrecoverable read error ..."

"Address mark not found ..."

To check, use the DISKCOPY command to copy the entire disk. DISKCOPY reports any bad sectors. (See your DOS manual.) Check all disks. To replace defective disks, call Customer Service at 1-319-395-0115. Within 30 days of purchase, we replace disks free. After this, contact Customer Service for prices.


CompuServe Information Service

If you are a CompuServe member, type GO PARSONS at any menu prompt. Select the forum and complete the Problem Report found in the Miscellaneous Info. library (file name: SYSPRO.TXT) or in the back of your User's Guide. We do our best to respond to questions within 24 hours in the forum only.

You may also discover that many of your questions have already been answered. You can tap into our library of application bulletins and other information releases. You can participate in a progressive dialog with experts and other helpful users.

If you would like to receive a free introductory membership to CompuServe, call CompuServe's Telephone Sales and Inquiry Department at 1-800-848-8199 and ask for Representative #194. (You'll also need a telecommunications program and a modem.)


GEnie

If you prefer, you also can reach us on GEnie. Parsons Technology can be found in the IBM RoundTable, under Category 31, and in Software Library Section 10. You can leave your messages in Category 31 under topics for each of our products. We check GEnie once each working day, so your question will be answered in approximately 24 hours.


Telephone

The Technical Support Department's voice number is 1-319-395-7314.

Before you call, make sure your computer is turned on and the relevant program running (if possible). Have the completed Problem Report at your fingertips.

An automated attendant will direct you to the right location and give Technical Support Department hours. We are a service-oriented company and will take all the time needed to answer your questions. But when you first dial in, you may have to wait a short time while we offer this same attention to the callers ahead of you.


SmartFax

Parsons Technology also maintains a SmartFax system which lets you receive technical bulletins, product descriptions, and other information about our products automatically. Just call from your own FAX machine. The SmartFax number is 1-319-395-0176.

The system will answer with a voice and will ask you which document you would like to receive. Choose document 100 for instructions for using the system and a partial directory of available information. Choose 101 for a complete directory. The item you choose will be sent directly to your FAX machine. This service is available 24 hours a day. You must call from a FAX machine.