GE1712

Inconsistency - a state where two facts don’t match. Information also may be incoherent in investigations.

Controversy - a discussion marked by expression of opposing views. It is also a result of inconsistent

information.

History is not perfect, and the historian is only retelling the story based on the pieces of evidence left
for him/her to use. It can be riddled with trivial information because of several reasons:

• human memory
• manipulation of artifacts
• personal bias

These inconsistent facts will become a controversy when left unresolved.

Case Examples of Different Viewpoints in Historical Events

1. Viewpoints on Ferdinand Magellan’s Arrival

a. Magellan arrived and set foot on March 16, 1521, but the early Filipinos said that there were
“others like him” who’ve been in the country before. He took an unknown route, now known as
the Pacific, because the Indian route was under Portugal.
b. Ferdinand Magellan was a European navigator who was hailed as the “first man to reach the
Philippines.” He didn’t complete his circumnavigation due to his death at Mactan.

2. Viewpoints on the 1899 Battle of Manila

a. The incident happened at the San Juan Bridge in 1899, where Pvt. William Grayson, an
Englishman, shot and killed Anastacio Felix, a Filipino lieutenant.
b. The incident, which led to the Filipino-American War, actually broke out from the intersection
of Sociego and Silencio Streets. The initial bout eventually reached San Juan Bridge.

3. Viewpoints on the introduction of Philippine Public School System

a. Spain installed various schools to educate the natives at the time due to the Educational
Decree Act of 1863, creating separate public schools for boys and girls. Manuel Luis Quezon
attested this.
b. The Philippine Public School system was introduced by the American military, with its
teachers imported from the US riding aboard USS Thomas.

From the several examples of historical events with opposing information, history has difficulties in
changing the already established knowledge because there is information that has been tried and verified, but
it is not impossible.

By using the historical method, historians have been able to find these inconsistencies, researched
them, and finally discovered new insights that could support or debunk already existing knowledge, which
could improve history.

03 Handout 1 *Property of STI

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