Introduction to History
Definition of History
Ancient Greek ἱστορία (historía)-
“Knowledge acquired through inquiry or
investigation” Candelaria, JL& Alporha, V.
(2018)
ἱστορία (historía)- meaning “Learning”
Gottschalk, L. (1969)
History - A study of the events of the past,
how and why they happened, as well as
what happened as a result Halili, (2004)
• History - “ recorded struggle of the
people for ever increasing freedom and
for newer and higher realization of the
human person” Constantino, R. &
Constantino , L. ( 1993)
• History- “a record of events shoeing
the evolution of man and his society
from the earliest and from the age of
barbarism to what is today “– De
Viana, 2019
History as a discipline
Existed around 2400 years
As old as mathematics and philosophy
Latin historía – adapted and acquired a new
definition – it became known as the “
account of the past of a person or of group
of people through written documents and
historical evidences
Historian’s duty to write about the lives of
important individuals like monarchs, heroes,
saints, and nobilities.
Is History Useful?
Window of the past
Understanding the past is the key to
understanding the present
It helps us to appreciate multiple
perspectives and interpretations
Analysing history strengthens our critical
thinking skills
It trains us to gather evidences, and find
patterns and trends
It gives us understanding of other people
and culture
It challenges us to think outside the box and
to be creative
Why Do We Need to Study Readings in
Philippine History?
It allows the students of the country’s past to
read the actual sources of the story of the
nation .
It allows the students to develop his own
perspective about his country’s past.
It will fulfil the desire to allow every
generation to have their own insight about
the past and how they will be able to learn
from it.
How do we understand history?
Historians/Political Scientists, Social
Scientists, etc. use the Scientific Method to
address various questions….
e.g.
1. What were the causes of the French
Revolution?
2.Why was there an EDSA Revolution?
Definition of Historiography
 Historiography: the writing of
history; especially : the writing of history
based on the critical examination of sources,
the product of historical writing ,( merriam-
webster.com/dictionary)
Scientific Process for historians
How do we know what we know about
history when we were not there?
Sources of History- sources of information
provide the evidence from which the
historian obtains facts about the past (Halili,
2004)
• Primary Sources – historical sources
that are contemporaneous to the
period under study.(Camagay et al. ,
2018)
 2. Secondary Sources - historical sources
which utilize primary sources to provide an
interpretation of the past. (Camagay et al. ,
2018)
Primary Sources
Reading Primary sources enables us to give
our own interpretation of the past and not
only rely on the interpretation of others.
A primary source provides direct or first
hand evidence about an event, object,
person, or work of art.
Primary Sources
The use of primary sources exposes students
to important historical concept:
• students become aware that all
written history reflects an author's
interpretation of past events.
Therefore, as students read a
historical account, they can
recognize its subjective nature.
• through primary sources the students
directly touch the lives of people in
the past.
• as students use primary sources, they
develop important analytical skills.
Types of Primary Sources
Primary sources include:
historical and legal documents,
eyewitness accounts,
results of experiments,
statistical data,
pieces of creative writing,
audio recordings,
speeches,
art objects
Films,
videos,
TV programs,
Documentaries,
TV news broadcasts can provide insights
into the fantasies, biases, political attitudes,
and material culture of the times in which
they were created.
oral histories,
recorded music of a particular era can also
serve as primary source material.
Types of Primary Sources
Some types of primary sources include:
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
(excerpts or translations acceptable):
Diaries, speeches, manuscripts,
letters, interviews, news film
footage, autobiographies, official
records 
CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama,
novels, music, art 
RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery,
furniture, clothing, buildings
Types of Primary Sources
Parish records- Libro de bautismo , Libro de
matrimonio
Court Transcript
Business ledgers
Artifacts e.g. Manunggul Jar, edifices of
colonial churches, clothes, jewellery, &
paintings
Archival Material as a Primary Source
Manuscripts and archives are primary
sources, including business and personal
correspondence, diaries and journals, legal
and financial documents, photographs,
maps, architectural drawings, objects, oral
histories, computer tapes, and video and
audio cassettes.  
Government Documents as a Primary
Source
 government documents provide
evidence of activities, functions, and
policies at all government levels.
 These documents include hearings and
debates of legislative bodies; the
official text of laws, regulations and
treaties; records of government
expenditures and finances; and
statistical compilations of economic,
demographic, and scientific data.
Examples of Primary Sources in Phil.
History
Topic: Religion of Early Filipinos
Primary Sources: Las costumbres de los
Tagalos en Filipinas ( Customs of the
Tagalogs) by Fr. Juan de Plasencia
Relación de las Islas Filipinas ( An Account
of the Philippine Island) by Fr. Pedro
Chirino
Nonreligious accounts :
 Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (1609)
Historical Events of the Phil Island  by
Antonio de Morga
Relacion de las Islas Filipinas ( An Account
of the Philippine Islands) by Miguel de
Loarca , 1582
Secondary Sources
are usually an assessment or a commentary
of events, people, or institutions of the past.
Often use primary sources for the
aforementioned purpose
Secondary sources describe, discuss,
interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate,
summarize, and process primary sources.
Examples:
• History of the Filipino People by
Teodoro Agoncillo
• The Past Revisited by Renato
Constantino
Secondary Sources
Secondary Sources may come in many
forms:
articles in newspapers
Articles in a popular magazines
chapters in a book based on primary source
movie reviews
articles found in scholarly journals that
discuss or evaluate someone else's original
research
Monograph- is along article or a short book
on a particular subject
Essays based on a primary source
Tertiary Sources
Tertiary sources contain information that has
been compiled from primary and secondary
sources.
Tertiary sources include almanacs,
chronologies, dictionaries and
encyclopedias, directories, guidebooks,
indexes, abstracts, manuals, and textbooks.
Historical Method
Consists of the techniques and guidelines by
which historians utilize primary sources and
other evidences to conduct a research and to
write history.
The process of critically examining and
analysing the records and survivals of the
past.
Historical Analysis: an element of
historical method , historians investigate,
collects, and examine sources
Components of Historical Method:
• External Criticism- aims at
checking the authenticity of the
primary sources
It also aims to check whether the sour is real
or fake
Validating the authenticity of the documents
requires the ff:
 Check the paper & ink of the
document
 Check the handwriting
 Check the style and language of the
text
Historical Method
Components of Historical Method:
2.Internal Criticism- checks the reliability
of the source
- refers to the accuracy of the contents
of a document
Questions to check on the reliability of the
source:
• How close was the author to the
event being studied?
Ex. A. Pigaffeta’s account of the Battle of
Mactan in his book
“ Primo Viaggio Intorno Al Globo
Terracqueo”

2.Internal Criticism
Questions to check on the reliability of the
source:
2. When was the account made? A primary
source should be closest or contemporary to
the period being studied.
EX. Unbana and Felisa by Modesto De
Castro
It was published in 1864
It was about the norms of conduct of a
woman in the 19th century
3. Who was the recipient of the account?
Ex. Elecciones de Gobernadorcillo –
election results of the town of Muntinlupa
during the Spanish period
Questions to check on the reliability of the
source:
4. Is there bias to be accounted for?
Ex. The Tejeros Convention – ended the
existence of KKK
Primary sources have bias
The bias will be coming from the author
Sample Articles:
Santiago Alvarez “ Si Andres Bonifacio,
Ang katipunan at Himagsikan”
Artemio Ricarte “ Mga Gunita ng
Himagsikan”
Carlos Ronquillo “ Ilang Talata sa Tungkol
sa Paghihimagsik nang 1896-1897”
Teodoro Agoncillo “ Seed of Discontent”
Questions to check on the reliability of the
source:
5. Does informed common sense make the
probable?
“One cannot get absolutely conclusive
answers in history “
( Camagay et al. 2018)
The test whether a given testimony is
believable or not , is when there is an
inherent probability of it being true and is
supported by appropriate evidence.
Ex. Letter of Bishop Salazar to the King of
Spain – informing the king about the abuses
of the encomienderos in the Philippines
Questions to check on the reliability of the
source:
6. Is the account corroborated by other
accounts?
A primary sour cannot stand by itself
There should be corroboration from other
sources as well
Who Am I?
What does a Historian do?
Historian is a professional in Social Sciences
that specializes in the discipline of History.
Their main objective is to research, study,
analyze, interpret, and document facts of
past human history.
A Historian may analyze and research
history from a specific point of view, such as
political, artistic, or economical.
They are considered as experts in their field
Purpose of a Historian
“So that human achievements may not
become forgotten in time, and great and
marvellous deeds – some displayed by
Greeks, some by barbarians – may not be
without their glory; and especially to show
why the two people fought with each other”
– Herodotus
What does a Historian do?
Historians follow a method of investigation
that relies heavily on facts and historical
records left by past colleagues.
They look for solid evidence and reliable
sources, sometimes liaising with
Archeologists, to explain how and why
things happened and how past events shaped
modern society.
One of the key characteristics of a good
Historian is their objectivity. It is normal for
people to tell and interpret history from their
own point of view. However, Historians
must maintain a level of complete and total
objectivity and simply refer to facts avoiding
opinions or any form of bias.
Historians Judge Whether the Source is:
1. Accurate
2. Bias
3. Exaggerated
4. Propaganda
5. Prejudice
1.Propaganda – is where writers are trying to
win the reader over to their point of view
using posters, radio, TV and speeches
Propaganda can be used in several areas,
such as commercial advertising, public
relations, political campaigns, diplomatic
negotiations, legal arguments, and collective
bargaining.
2.Bias – This means that the writer may
have a strong , personal opinion about an
event and tries to show that their opinion is
right.
Regardless of whether they are conscious or
learned implicitly within cultural contexts,
biases have been part of historical
investigation since the ancient beginnings of
the discipline.
Exaggeration –this is when a writer makes
something seem greater than it really is.
Prejudice – is where writers have made up
their minds in advance and present only
their own point of view
an idea or opinion that disregards basic
facts.
It's akin to ignorance, or a lack of
knowledge, experience or education.
It's something that should not be tolerated,
as we all strive for betterment and higher
learning.
Some of the more common prejudice
examples include:
Racism
Sexism
Homophobia
Religious prejudice
Ageism
Religious Prejudice
In Afghanistan, the prejudiced interpretation
of Islamic law when the Taliban was in
government, meant women were unable to
learn or work, or even be seen unveiled by
men outside their family. Who can claim to
understand the mindset of extremists, but the
Taliban considered an educated female to be
"more threatening than armies equipped
with all-seeing drones.“