GED 105 Readings in Philippine History

HISTORY
 refers to the study and interpretation by a historian on
the data and other source of the past human activity, C. HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN
people, societies and civilizations leading to the present HISTORIAN
day
 an expert or student of history, especially that of a
There are three important concepts in the definition.
particular period, geographical region or social
 based on past events phenomenon.
 interpreted by someone, usually by historians who DUTIES OF A HISTORIAN
gather, discard and interpret the sources that they • seek not only historical evidence and facts but also to
encounter. interpret these facts
 rely on data and documents which historians call as
• gives meaning to these facts and organizes them
historical sources
chronologically
B. HISTORY'S SUBJECT MATTER
• recognize the evidence, decide how useful it is and come to
- The subject matter of history is the life of people and conclusion based on what he has found out
humanity.
• responsible for reconstructing the past
- History has always been known as the study of the past BUT
According to Gottschalk, historians are many times
- History came from the Greek word Historia which means
removed from the events under investigation. He added:
inquiry.
 only a part of what was observed in the past was
HISTORIA
remembered by those who observed it
 denotes asking questions or investigation of the past
 only a part of what was remembered was recorded
done by a person trained to do so or by persons who are
 only a part of what was recorded has survived only a
interested in the human past
part of what was survive has come to the historian
We can say that historical accounts must be based
attention
on all available relevant evidence. Therefore a
version of the past that cannot be supported by the  Moreover only a part of what is credible has been
evidence is worthless. grasped, and only a part of what has been grasped can
expounded or narrated by the historian.
 Historcal Method - the core protocols historians' use for
handling sources
 agreed ground rules for researching and writing
academic research or professional history
HISTORY
An objective historian must verify sources, to date them,
Some authors define history as a study of historical
locate the place of origin and identify their intended
perspective.
functions. It is important for a historian to base their accounts
In reconstructing the past, a historian can be subjective;
on source materials.
after all historians are human, fallible, and capable of error.
People's memories are filled with bias, self-righteousness,
C. SOURCES OF HISTORY
pride, vanity, spinning, obstruction and outright lies. Each has
his own frame of reference or a set of interlocking values, HISTORICAL SOURCES
loyalties, assumptions, interest and principle of action. The • tangible remains of the past
historian is influenced by his own environment, ideology, • an object from the past or testimony
education, and influence. His interpretation of the historical concerning the past on which historians depend in order to
fact is affected by his context and circumstances. create their own depiction of the past
The best approach is to do all we can to reconstruct as There are three kinds of sources namely:
fully as possible our picture of the past. 1. primary 2. secondary 3. tertiary sources

1. Most scholars use historiography or what they call 1. PRIMARY SOURCES

history of history.
 a testimony of an individual who was a participant in or
Historiography - the study of how history was written, by
a direct witness to the event that is being described
whom and why it was recorded as such; concerned with how
 a document or physical object which was written or
historians have presented history
created during the time under a study
Interpretation about the past can be objective or true as
 present during an experience or time period and offer
long as they are free of inherent contradictions, are not contrary
an inside view of a particular event
to the laws of nature and are based on actual remains from the
 characterized by their content, regardless of whether
time period referred to.
they are available in original format, in microfilm, in
digital format or in published format.
2. Follow the historical method.
 • interprets and analyzes primary sources
• one or more steps removed from the event
FIVE MAIN CATEGORIES OF PRIMARY SOURCES • prepared by an individual who was not direct witness to an
1. WRITTEN SOURCES event, but not who obtained his or her description of the event
• most common primary source from someone else
• written or printed materials that have been produced
• may have pictures, votes or graphics of primary sources in
in one form or another sometime in the past them.
• published materials such as travelogue, transcription of
Some types of secondary sources:
speech, autobiographies, journals or newspapers (La
Solidaridad) • history textbook
• can be also in manuscript form or any handwritten or • printed materials (serials or periodicals which interpret
previews research)
type record that has not been printed. le. archival materials,
memoirs, diary, personal letter or correspondence • biographies
2. NUMERICAL RECORDS • nonfiction text such as newspaper, magazine, journals, works
• include any type of numerical data in printed or handwritten of criticism and interpretation.
form 3. TERTIARY SOURCES
3. ORAL STATEMENTS  provides third hand information by reporting ideas and
• any form of statement made orally by an eyewitness. . it details from secondary source
maybe through video recordings, audio recordings, or  eyewitness is more reliable than testimony at second
transcribed hand, which is more reliable than hearsay or tertiary
4. RELICS sources .
• any objects whose physical or visual characteristics can Some types of tertiary sources:
provide some information about the past. • encyclopedia .almanac • YouTube
• these include artifacts, ruins and fossils • Wikipedia • dictionaries
5. IMAGES • message boards • social media sites and other search
• includes photograph, posters, paintings, drawing cartoons and sites.
maps.
2. SECONDARY SOURCES