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2 The Method and Skills of History
2 The Method and Skills of History
History is…
…both the past and the study of the past.
THE NATURE OF HISTORY
…visualize walking at night…
…but it is IMPERFECT.
A particular vision…
A personalized version…
AN ACT OF RE-CREATION.
THE PROCESS OF HISTORY
Historian must rely on surviving records…
Historians are fallible, capable of error, with personal
biases, political beliefs, economic status, and
idiosyncrasies.
There is an element of subjectivity in historical accounts.
Historians are justified in viewing an event from any
perspective they wish.
Historians could excessively focus on his or her own
viewpoint.
METHODS OF HISTORICAL
ANALYSIS
selection of a subject
collection of probable sources
examination for genuineness
extraction of credible particulars
= HISTORIOGRAPHY
THE QUESTION OF THE TRUTH
The past did happen. Limited records of past events
still constitute a tangible link between past and present.