Zachary Collins

HIST*2450: The Practising Historian

December 8th, 2023

Dr. Norman Smith

To what extent can personal identities impact the understanding of history? Cite two specific examples of

personal influences on the writing of history.

The academic study of History continuously evolves, with different socio-cultural factors guiding

how and what should be studied. New scholars will often choose subjects of interest based on their

generation's principles and points of emphasis. For example, the 21st century has seen a heightened focus

on North American Indigenous history and historiography due to the social realizations of Indigenous

oppression, evident in 21st-century movements such as “Idle No More,” “Every Child Matters” and “The

Truth and Reconciliation Commission”. Through historiography, we can examine how dominant values

of a time have influenced the personal identities that write history and how these identities have shaped

the understanding of history. Therefore, to what extent can personal identities impact the understanding of

history? Through the examples of religion and gender, it will become evident that personal identities

affect the understanding of history to a great extent.

Theology's firm grasp on human societies has made it very easy for religious doctrine to interfere

with academia. Dominant religious organizations have, therefore, had the power to alter the understanding

of history through the scholars writing it. Specific examples from both the Western and Eastern worlds

will show how personal identities, guided by religious doctrine, influence the understanding of history.

During the rise of the Catholic church in the fourth century, scholars such as Eusebius utilized the support

from the church to write his histories. Guided by his belief systems, Eusebius’s histories dramatically

altered and skewed past events to validate the biblical narrative. He used the pre-existing authority of

Egypt’s classical society and attempted to weave it into the Old Testament to produce a linear church

history. He was not afraid to use fabrications in his writing if it could convince non-believers of Christ’s

existence. The personal religious identity of Eusebius, a Catholic bishop, vastly impacted the
understanding of history for generations due to the authority of his writings and the church. The catholic

church's hold over society resulted in a monopoly over Western academia that created a near-eon-long

dominance of Catholic-guided history. They institutionalized this ownership over historical writing in the

form of monasteries, often very isolated, where monks would be commissioned to write histories on

different subjects. Venerable Bede, for example, has been credited as the father of English history due to

his formative 8th-century work and the vast amount of sources he read. However, this position as an

English Monk altered known facts. For example, he believed that miracle stories should be included in

history and that history began with the birth of Christ. This disregards the centuries of known human

development throughout the classical age. The Catholic church and its influence on personal identities

altered how history would be understood for centuries.

The same religious influence on historical writers was similarly present in the East. During the

Tang dynasty, Buddhism was China's driving ideology and took over how history was written. In the later

eighth and early ninth centuries, Han Yu used his Confucianism ideologies to drive his historical writings.

In his Origin of Dao, he argued that those who did not follow Confucius and his writings were barbaric.

He sought rectification of the barbaric ideologies of Buddhism through the enlightened ones of

Confucianism. Allowing these personal ideologies to guide his historical writing significantly impacted

Chinese historical understanding and politics. The early 20th-century Chinese Communist Party embraced

Han Yu’s ideas of rectification to guide their doctrine and governance with the same hope of

“enlightening” a new generation. Just as in the case of roman catholic dominance over Western writing,

this example shows how religious beliefs can influence a historian's identity and, in turn, shape the way

histories are written and understood.

Lastly, within the writings of both female and male historians, it is evident how gender can play a

pivotal role in historical writing and, consequently, the understanding of history. A century before

feminism's first wave, Mary Wollstonecraft argued that women's history was defined by oppression and

neglect. Her pivotal work, Vindication of the Rights of Woman, argued that women’s discrimination in

education was a primary and overlooked issue in history. Furthermore, she says that this development of
oppression was vital in understanding not only women's history but also the history of social relations and

the social structure. Later, female historians such as Mary Beard would specifically write women's

histories to bring them out of the shadow created by the male-dominated narrative.

Men created the narrative of male-oriented history, and we can look at the example of the

Enlightenment era as a good representation of how the male gender has played into personal identities,

shaping the understanding of history. The 18th-century movement in Western Europe is recognized as

increasing scientification in history. However, the leading scholars, overbearingly male, often focused

their histories on the great men in history. This includes David Hume, an avid atheist, and his History of

England, which used the deeds of men, specifically kings and statesmen, as the driver for the history of a

total nation. His French contemporary Voltaire is commonly recognized as one of the most significant

Enlightenment thinkers. He had similar taste in his historical writings as he focused on the male leaders of

the past in his books, such as The Age of Louis XIV and The History of Charles XII. Narratives such as

those written by Voltaire, David Hume, and their male predecessors set the standard of history being told

and understood through the actions of men. Through the examples of female and male historians, there is

an evident correlation between their gender identity and what they chose to write about, effectively

altering or reaffirming how history is understood.

In conclusion, the individuality within historical writing makes it a malleable and enthralling

subject. Through the examples of both gender and religious identity, it's apparent that personal identities

have long had an impact on how history is written and understood. There are great dangers in allowing

personal beliefs or biases to drive historical writings. For centuries, the catholic church had a monopoly

over historical understanding in the Western world, just as men had a monopoly over the writing of

history. But in cases like Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Beard, their identities opened the lens of history

to incorporate more women. Therefore, personal identities impact the understanding of history to a great

extent.
 Barbara Tuchman argued that oral history is “a vast mass of trash.” Do you agree? Why or why not?

Multiple societies, past and present, have utilized Oral History as a primary form of chronicling

events while deeply embedded in traditions and other cultural elements. The academic discipline of

history has long ignored oral histories as unreliable and inaccurate. For example, Barbara Tuchman, a

two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, said oral history is “a vast mass of trash.” Tuchman could not

be more incorrect in this stance, as much can be gained from an academic consumption of Oral History.

First, non-Western societies have predominantly practised oral history, so incorporating this into the

scholarship of History gives historically marginalized people an outlet for proper representation.

Secondly, including these histories and their storytellers provides more information outlets, expanding

history's capabilities and supporting other social sciences. Lastly, oral history adds personal anecdotes to

history, giving more profound insight into those who experienced these histories and making the study of

history more accessible. As many academic sectors work towards an enlightened and comprehensive view

of society, Historians must begin valuing Oral History.

To view the topic of oral histories and their importance, the broader socio-cultural significance of

including these stories is needed. The groups that most value Oral Histories are those more culturally and

geographically isolated from the Greeko-Roman-based societies that value the written word as the most

credible source of information. A few predominant cultures practising oral history include certain South

Eastern Asian societies, Indigenous cultures across the Americas and Oceanic lands, and African ones

such as the Akan people of Ghana. These groups are historically the same ones oppressed by Western

societies valuing alternative forms of history. The people Indigenous to the “American” lands are

exemplary of how a marginalized society can find a new voice through oral history. These groups obtain

information on pre-colonized “Canada” that is impossible to find elsewhere. But at the same time, these

Indigenous nations have suffered tremendous amounts of racism that has limited their ability to provide

historians with these valuable narratives. Incorporating oral history into the mainstream practice of history

allows these marginalized people to express their stories and find a platform for their useful histories.
 Next, from a more traditional academic perspective, including oral histories expands the

discipline of History by opening it up to untouched sources and information. Many of the histories passed

on through generations have a validity at its source. Scholars deciphering the stories and marrying them

with pre-existing knowledge will expand their grasp on any subject and reveal unknown historical

components. An example is the North American megafauna, a class of large sub-species that went extinct

before European contact. Although indigenous peoples kept the stories of these species alive through oral

histories, they were widely disregarded. The oral histories were only considered truthful once

paleontologist discoveries confirmed the existence of these animals. As exemplified here, in an ideal

world, oral history can support history as a discipline and have interdisciplinary benefits. They can benefit

other social sciences, such as sociologists and anthropologists, who value these sources when studying

undocumented cultures. For Historians to platform oral histories, it would greatly benefit other academic

disciplines and, in totality, expand the understanding of humanity. There is a vast academic potential for

using the widely undiscovered source of Oral history, and it must be tapped into if we seek to understand

humanity further.

As oral history allows people to share their perspectives on past events, it adds a personal element

that traditional historical accounts may need to include. Because not all oral histories revolve around

things as distant as pre-contact North America, there is ample opportunity for living narrators to tell their

accounts of recent events. In the case of Indigenous-American societies that value oral history, survivors

of events like Residential schools can provide valuable, firsthand insight into the horrors endured. Oral

histories can help understand these dramatic historical episodes that require a survivor's first-hand account

to grasp the gravity of the occurrence. Another example of its usefulness in this context is personal

interviews with war veterans to understand the conditions of the conflict. By recording these personal

stories, their history could be recovered. Especially in the case of more distressing events, people are

often more reluctant to share stories from a traumatic time. Furthermore, adding a personal element to the

telling of history can make it more relatable to audiences. Many people are reluctant to read traditional

historical sources such as textbooks or articles. Oral histories provide a more engaging and personal way
to tell history. This can make the discipline more accessible for all people, including those who dislike

conventional historical sources and seek something more personable.

In conclusion, oral history has a wide array of benefits that it can serve. It can bolster

marginalized societies and individuals within them and provide vital information to history scholars and

academics of other disciplines interested in society and culture. Furthermore, presenting history in this

alternative form modernizes history's discipline and allows new generations to consume knowledge

differently. Calling oral history a “vast mass of trash” disregards the long-standing traditions of some

cultures while simultaneously ignoring all the benefits it can serve.