Lesson 1: History: Introduction and Historical historians seek not only historical evidence

Sources and facts but also to interpret these facts. He

A. Definition also gives meaning to these facts and
History refers to the study and interpretation organizes them chronologically. A person who
by a historian on the data and other sources of must be able to recognize the evidence, decide
the past human activity, people, societies and how useful it is and come to a conclusion
civilizations leading to the present day. There based on what he has found out. The historian
are three important concepts in the definition. therefore is responsible for reconstructing the
First history as we all know is based on past past. According to Gottschalk, historians are
events. Second, it is interpreted by historians. many times removed from the events under
They gather, discard and interpret the sources investigation. He added that only a part of
that they encounter. And finally, the most what was observed in the past was
important history relies on data and remembered by those who observed it, only a
documents which historians call historical part of what was remembered was recorded;
sources. only a part of what was recorded has survived,
only a part of what was survive has come to
B. History’s Subject Matter the historian attention Moreover only a part of
Like other social sciences the subject matter what is credible has been grasped, and only a
of history is the life of people and humanity. part of what has been grasped can expounded
But history has always been known as the or narrated by the historian.
study of the past. While this definition of
history is not wrong, it is incomplete. Some authors define history as a study of
Etymologically, the word history came from the historical perspective. In reconstructing the
Greek word Historia which means inquiry. past, a historian can be subjective; after all he
Clearly the word Historia does not mean past is human, fallible and capable of error.
events. It denotes asking questions or People’s memories are filled with bias, self
investigation of the past done by a person righteousness, pride, vanity, spinning,
trained to do so or by persons who are obstruction and outright lies. Each has his own
interested in the human past. We can say that frame of reference or a set of interlocking
historical accounts must be based on all values, loyalties, assumptions, interest and
available relevant evidence. Therefore a principle of action. The historian is influenced
version of the past that cannot be supported by his own environment, ideology, education
by the evidence is worthless. Ever heard the and influence. His interpretation of the
taong-ahas story? The half human, half snake historical fact is affected by his context and
creature that supposedly stalked the ladies circumstances. It’s like the Indian parable of an
room of one of the department stores in elephant and the blind men, historians have
Manila. The most famous victim of this different historical
creature was supposedly the actress Alice perspective.
Dixson. It happened three decades ago when
Alice Dixson was only 21 years old. Because it Because certain events happened so long ago
happened in the past, would that story qualify and because sometimes the evidence is
as history? Or would that story classify as incomplete, historians have different
gossip or urban legend? approaches and views about what happened
in the past. This is the subjective nature of
history, one historian claims an event
C. History and the Historian happened a certain way, while another
Historian is an expert or student of history, disagrees completely. The best approach is to
especially that of a particular period, do all we can to reconstruct as fully as
geographical region or social phenomenon. possible our picture of the past. To do this,
There are many duties of a historian. These most scholars use historiography or what they
call history of history. Historiography is the microfilm, in digital format or in published
study of how history was written, by whom and format. There are five main categories of
why it was recorded as such. It is concerned primary sources. It includes written sources,
with how historians have presented history. numerical records, oral statements, relics, and
Interpretation about the past can be objective images. The most common are written
or true as long as they are free of inherent sources or documents.
contradictions, are not
contrary to the laws of nature and are based They are written or printed materials that have
on actual remains from the time period been produced in one form or another
referred to. sometime in the past. They may be published
materials such as travelogue, transcription of
There should also be a scientific discourse speech, autobiographies, journals or
among historians on a particular controversial newspapers (La Solidaridad). They can be
event. If an idea that Jose Rizal retracted on also in manuscript form or any handwritten or
being a mason stands up to the critique of type record that has not been printed.
historians who are skeptical of his retraction Examples of these are archival materials,
then the idea must be true. One big advantage memoirs, diary, personal letter or
of historiography is that the liars of history are correspondence. The next category is the
usually quite transparent. Another way for a numerical records which include any type of
historian to be objective is to follow the numerical data in printed or handwritten form.
historical method. It is the core protocol The third category is oral statements which
historians’ use for handling sources. An include any form of statement made orally by
agreed ground rules for researching and an eyewitness. It maybe through
writing academic research or professional video recordings, audio recordings, or
history. An objective historian must verify transcribed. Another category is the relics or
sources, to date them, locate the place of any objects whose physical or visual
origin and identify their intended functions. It characteristics can provide some information
is important for a historian to base their about the past. These include artifacts, ruins
accounts on source materials. and fossils. The last category of primary
sources is the images. It includes
D. Sources of History photographs, posters, paintings, drawing
Historical sources are tangible remains of the cartoons and maps.
past. It is an object from the past or testimony
concerning the past on which historians Secondary Sources
depend in order to create their own depiction A secondary source interprets and analyzes
of the past. There are three kinds of sources primary sources. These sources are one or
namely: primary, secondary, and tertiary more steps removed from the event. It is
sources. prepared by an individual who was not a direct
witness to an event, but not who obtained his
Primary sources or her description of the event from someone
A primary source is a testimony of an else. Secondary sources may have pictures,
individual who was a participant in or a direct votes or graphics of primary sources in them.
witness to the event that is being described. It Some types of secondary sources are history
is a document or physical object which was textbook, printed materials (serials or
written or created during the time under a periodicals which interpret preview research),
study. Those sources were present during an biographies, nonfiction text such as
experience or time period and offer an inside newspaper, magazine, journals, works of
view of a particular event. Primary sources are criticism and interpretation.
characterized by their content, regardless of
whether they are available in original format, in
Tertiary Source called “authorial intent”: What did the author
The last kind of source is the tertiary source. It intend for this text to mean in his or her time
provides third hand information by reporting and place?
ideas and details from secondary sources. An
eyewitness is more reliable than testimony at C. External Criticism
second hand, which is more reliable than This type of criticism looks for the obvious
hearsay or tertiary sources. This does not sign of forgery or misrepresentation. This type
mean that tertiary sources have no value, of criticism tests the authenticity of the
merely that they include potential for an sources. It is interested in the writing styles of
additional layer of bias. Some examples of this the eyewitness and his ignorance of the facts.
kind of source are encyclopaedias, almanac, The historian also analyzes the original
Wikipedia, YouTube, dictionaries, message manuscript; its integrity, localization and the
boards, social media sites and other search date it was written. To ascertain if a particular
sites. data is fabricated, forge, fake, corrupted or a
hoax, that source must undergo the test of
Lesson 2 Historical Criticisms authenticity. Since external criticism is
A. Definition concerned with the explicit sign of
It is also known as the historical-critical misrepresentation, it is the first test the
method, Historical criticism is a branch of historian employs to ascertain sources validity.
criticism that investigates the origin of text or
source in order to understand the word behind D. Test of authenticity
the text. The primary goal of historical The first step to test a source is to determine
criticism is to discover the text's primitive or the date of the document to see whether it is
original historical context and its literal sense. anachronistic. Anachronism means out of
The secondary goal seeks to establish a time or order, something that could not have
reconstruction of the historical situation of the been there at that particular time. It could be a
author and recipients of the text. Moreover, in person, thing or idea placed at the wrong time.
order for a source to be used as evidence in Being able to spot anachronism is important
history, basic matters about its form and because it helps us test the reliability of a
context must be settled. These are two types source. If a source is unreliable then we
of historical criticism namely: external probably should not use it.
criticism (investigates the documents form)
and internal criticism (investigates the content The second step is to determine the author’s
of the documents). handwriting, signature or seal. We can
compare the handwriting of a particular author
B. Additional Goal of Historical Criticism to his other writings. Obvious signs of forgery
Historical criticism seeks greater include patch writing, hesitation as revealed by
understanding of the texts by analyzing the ink blobs, pauses in the writing, tremor causing
historical and social contexts in which they poor line quality and erasures. However, some
developed. The goal of historical criticism, people are highly skilled in imitating others'
traditionally, has been to try to understand the handwriting. Even a skilled forger can be
text’s meaning in its original context and to caught because the act of writing is a skill
answer questions about the text, such as: Who learned through repetition until it becomes a
wrote it? When was it written? What else what habit. Thus, there is natural variation in
happening at the time of its writing? How did it everyone's handwriting. In addition, no one can
come to be in the form we have it today? What duplicate all of the intricate subconscious
did it mean to the people who first read or writing habits of another in an extended
heard it? Historical criticism has also often writing sample.
sought answers to the ever-elusive question of
what is
The third test in determining the authenticity examination of best available resources. It
of the source is by looking for the refers to the accuracy of the content of a
anachronistic style. In this test we will document. Internal criticism has to do with
examine idiomatic expressions or the what the document says. It investigates
orthography used in the documents. An idiom the content or substance of a document and
is an expression, word or phrase that has a the author’s point of view. This type of
figurative meaning conventionally understood criticism tests the credibility of the source.
by native speakers. When we say ‘break a leg’
we all know that it means good luck. F. Test of Credibility
Orthography is a set of conventions for writing The first step is the identification of the
a language. It includes norms of spelling, author. It determines if the witness is reliable
hyphenation, capitalization, word breaks, or if he is consistent by comparing his other
emphasis and punctuation. works. In these steps historians also examine
the mental processes of the witness, if he is
The fourth test is the anachronistic reference capable of telling the truth, or if he is mentally
to events. For example if the event cited in the challenged. Finally we will look for his personal
document is prior to the actual event, then the attitudes, if he is telling something beyond
document must be forged or fake. what he saw or bragging about it. Many
historians use some kind of rubric to test the
The fifth test of authenticity is the provenance credibility of the author.
or custody of the document. Provenance is the
place of origin of the earliest known history of The second step in testing the credibility of the
documents. It traces the roots of any source. eyewitness is to determine the approximate
date. Example of this is again Rizal’s poem “Sa
The other two tests of authenticity are the aking mga kabata”. He wrote that poem when
semantics and hermeneutics. Semantics is he is only eight years old and that poem is with
the linguistic study of meaning. In this test rhythm and meter. To think that when Rizal
semantics determine the meaning of the text was 8 years old the primary education in the
and words of the source. We may ask: is the Philippines was nonexistent.
meaning of the statements different from its
literal meaning? Hermeneutics on the other The third step in testing the credibility of the
hand is theory and methodology of source is its ability to tell the truth. Historians
interpretation. Hermeneutics is more than examine how near an eyewitness is to the
interpretation or method used when event. The closer a source is to the event
immediate comprehension fails. In historical which it purports to describe, the more one
criticism we determine ambiguities which are can trust it to give an accurate historical
a word or expression that can be understood description of what actually happened.
in two or more possible ways. Historians may Historians also look for the competence of the
look also if the statement is meant to be ironic eyewitness. Basically they look for the
(i.e. mean other than background of the author like education,
what it says). health, age or social status. The last test for
this step is the degree of the attention of the
E. Internal Criticism eyewitness. Whether the sources witness the
This type of criticism looks for deeper or more event only partly or if he witnesses the event
intense study of sources. Usually historians from the start to finish.
first apply external criticism before undergoing
the test of credibility because of internal The fourth step is the willingness to tell the
criticisms implicit character. It is important truth. If the eyewitness is coerced, forced or
that the document must be verisimilar or as somebody threatens him to tell something
close as what really happened from a critical
then his account is not valid. If the eyewitness journals are for students and other university
wants to hide something for personal reason audiences or books are for the general public.

The last step is to look for corroboration. This Next task is to look for the purpose or motive
particular step rests upon the independent of the source. How do you discover the
testimony of two or more reliable sources. The purpose or the reason it was originally made?
words independent testimony must be First understand the historical context. Next is
emphasised. For instance, if the soldier who to do background research. Then look at
fought the battle, a general who oversaw the important historical events at the time the
battle and a doctor who treated those source was made. Finally ascertain the
wounded who fought the battle, all recorded intended audience.
the same fact or all agree about an event,
historians consider that event proven. C. Content Analysis of the Important
Historical Information Found in the Document
Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected First look for corroboration between the
Primary Sources research you gather from the internet and the
A. Background of the Author/Creator primary source that your instructor has given
First the researcher must provide a brief to you. They may not use exactly the same
biographical sketch of the author or creator of word or they can express the same
the primary source. Family background, information in different ways and we can still
educational attainment, religion and many use it as corroboration. Look also if your
others shall be given priority in presenting the source agrees with information from another
biography of the author. Special attention must source. Attention also must be given to the
also be given to the first four steps of the test intended audience and purpose.
of credibility discussed in the previous module.
Next, in order to analyze the primary source,
B. Background of the Document/Primary look for bias. There is a bias when a source’s
Source information is unbalanced or prejudiced. There
Basic background of the source like the type of are two kinds of bias: either it is strongly
primary source, how many parts or chapter, positive (strongly in favor of) or strongly
how long is the document shall be given negative (strongly against). If you’re looking
attention. Next is to locate where the primary for a bias in a written source you’ll need to find
source can be found. The repository of primary word choices that are extreme in their
sources may be found in the library, archive, description. If it is a visual source you’re
museum, looking for a depiction that is clearly
historical society or special collection of exaggeration. Most of the primary source we
private individuals. To check the authenticity of will encounter is written documents so we will
the source, check the provenance or origin of focus our attention on that kind of primary
the said document. Determine also the source. How can we find bias in word choices?
intended audience or the people the author If it is too positive that provides little negative
wants to convey their ideas with. If it is a letter information then there is an extreme positive
the recipient in the address will be the bias. Example of this is the Gunita ng
audience while if it is a diary the author is the Himagsikan of Emilio Aguinaldo. It is too much
audience. While it is easy to determine the negativity that provides little positive
audience of the aforementioned sources, most information on the person, then there is
of the time you have to guess. What to do? A extreme negativity. Example of this is the
researcher must find out who the creator is Filipino Grievances Against General Leonard
and the time of creation. Most of the sources Wood. If the document is silent or when the
have a unique type of audience like academic source intentionally leaves important
information of which you are aware from other
sources. Example of this silent bias is the E. Relevance of the documents to the present
Declaration of the Philippine Independence time.
The author of this document intentionally Look for the historical significance or what
leaves important information about the modern people consider to be important from
Katipunan. The last is if there are obvious the past. There are many events in our history
errors or when the source provides information we have to choose but few people, events or
that you know to be false from alternative ideas to focus on. Since significance is a
sources. How do you point out the bias in your decision we make, it means different people
analysis? First provide a direct quote. Then can decide different things that are particularly
explain the creator’s perspective and lastly the most important. They can also disagree
explain the creator's purpose. about the reason why a particular event is
important. How to determine the significance
Next is to analyze the historical perspective or of the event? We have to follow the acronym
a point of view a creator describes the event. NAME or Novelty, Applicability, Memory and
To accomplish this, do a background check of Effect. Novelty or when something is new or
the author with regards to his nationality, never been seen before. Example is when Cory
social status, political persuasion, cultural Aquino became President; it is significant
background, religion or education. because she is the first female president of the
Philippines. Applicability or when it is similar
Last task is to analyze the historical context of to the present. The Spanish Flu of 1918
the document. Context is the awareness that suddenly became an important topic because
sources were created at times which were very of Covid-19. Memory or how it has been
different to our own. Historical empathy remembered over time. Typhoon Yolanda is
understands the past without judging it by remembered because it is the strongest
modern standards. To determine historical weather disturbance that hit the country.
context, we must look when the source is Lastly the Effect or how people have been
made (preferably the exact date). Next is affected. Taal Volcanic Eruption is significant
where it was created. particularly in Batangas area because many
were affected.
Third, what event occurred at the time and
then read the source to identify specific
language

D. Contribution and Relevance of the

Document in Understanding the Grand
Narrative of Philippine History
In this activity look for the cause and
consequences of the primary sources. A cause
is a person or thing that makes something
happen while a consequence is a direct result
of the cause. Example is the arrival of
Ferdinand Magellan. That event is the cause
while being converted to Catholicism is the
effect or the consequence. In this part of the
analysis look also for the turning point or
dramatic moment of change that was caused
by the event or primary source.