History Historical Analysis

• Derived from the Greek word 1. Select the subject to

“historia” which means investigate.
learning by inquiry. 2. Collect probably sources of
• Greek philosopher Aristotle information of the subject.
looked upon “historyas” the 3. Examine the sources of
systematic accounting of a set genuineness, in part of in
of natural phenomena, taking whole.
into consideration the 4. Extract credible “particulars”
chronological arrangement of from the sources.
the account.
• “Historia” – in Spanish 5 steps of the Historical Method:
• “Histoire” – in French 1. Preliminary research
• Accounts of phenomena, 2. Formulate a working
especially human affairs in hypothesis.
chronological order. 3. Gather evidence to
• The study of past events. support/reject hypothesis.
4. Formulate a thesis statement.
“Kasaysayan” – in Filipino 5. Write a historical account.
• Most powerful translation of
history Knowledge
• Adding meaning to past events • Is derived through conducting a
process of scientific
Historians investigation of past events.
• Individuals who write about
Eras in Philippine History
history
1. Pre-colonial Period
• They seek to understand the
2. Spanish Period
present by examining what
3. American Period
went before.
4. Japanese Invasion
• They undertake arduous 5. The Third Republic or The
historical research to come up Contemporary Period
with a meaningful and
organized rebuilding of the Two types of theories
past.
1. Factual History
Historiography
• Presents readers the plain and
• The practice of historical writing basic information vis-à-vis the
• The traditional method in doing events that took place, and
historical research that focus date, and who were involved.
on gathering of documents • What? When? and Who?
from different libraries and
• Objective
archives to form a pool of
2. Speculative History
evidence needed in making a
• Goes beyond facts because it’s
descriptive or analytical
concerned about the reasons
narrative.
for which event happened and
• The study, comparison, and
the way they happened.
evaluation of historians’
• Speculate the cause and effect
interpretations of the people
of an event.
and events of the past.
• Why? and How?
• Also include various research
methods such as archaeology
The Limitation of Historical Knowledge
and geography.
 1. The Incompleteness of • Provides evidence about the
Records existence of an event and a
• Most human affairs happen historical interpretation is an
without leaving any evidence or argument about the event.
record of any kind, no artifacts,
or if there are, no further Testimonies of Witnesses
evidence of the human setting • Whether oral or written, may
in which to place surviving have been created to serve as
artifacts. records or they might have
• The past has perished forever been created for some other
with only occasional traces. purposes.
• The whole history of the past • All these describe an event,
(called history-as-actuality) can such as the records of a
be known to a historian only property exchange, speeches,
through the surviving records and commentaries.
(history-as-record), and most of
history-as-record is only a tiny Written Sources of History
part the whole phenomenon.
• However, their claims may 1. Narrative or Literary Sources
remain variable as there can be • Chronicles or Tracts presented
historical records that could be in narrative form, written to
discovered which may affirm or impart a message whose
refute those that they have motives for their composition
already presented. vary widely.
• This explains the
“incompleteness” of the Scientific tract
“object” that historians study. • is typically composed to inform
contemporaries or succeeding
History as the Subjective Process of generations.
Re-creation
• From the incomplete evidence, Newspaper article
historian strive to restore the • might be intended to shape
total past of mankind. opinion. (the so-called ego
• In short, the historian’s aim is document or personal narrative
verisimilitude (the truth, such as diary or memoir might
authenticity, plausibility) about be composed in order to
a past. persuade the readers of the
justice of the author’s actions)
Historical Data
• Sourced from artifacts that Novel or film
have been left by the past. • might be made to entertain, to
• These artifacts can either be deliver a moral teaching, or to
relics or remains, or further a religious cause.
testimonies of witnesses to the
past. Biography
• might be written in praise of the
Historical Sources subject’s worth and
• Those materials from which the achievements (panegyric – in
historians construct meaning. praise of someone or
something; hagiography –
Historical Work or Interpretation writing of the lives of saints)
• Is thus the result of such
depiction.
 2. Diplomatic Sources or Commercial Exchange
Jurudicial • may also be revealed by
• The “best” source the presence of artifacts in
• Understood to be those which difference places.
document/record an existing • Even places that are
legal situation or create a new insignificant can bring
one, and it is these kinds of value to historians as
sources that professional these can be traced.
historians once treated as the Archaeological Sites
purest. • Sometimes they are unearthed
• Ex. A legal document which is during excavations for roads,
usually sealed or authenticated sewer lines, and big building
to structures.

3. Social Documents Primary sources

• Information pertaining to • Original, first-hand account of
economic, social, political, an event or period that are
or judicial significance. usually written or made during
• Records kept by or close to the event or period.
bureaucracies. • Ex. Photographs, maps,
• Ex. Government reports, postcards, posters, recorded
such as municipal or transcribed speeches,
accounts, research interviews with people who
findings, and documents lived during a certain time,
like parliamentary songs, plays, novels, stories,
procedures, civil registry paintings, drawings, and
records, property registers, sculptures.
and records of census. • To ensure whether a resource
can be considered a primary
Non-Written Sources of History source, try to ask the
• As essential. questions: Who created this
source? What is this about?
1. Material Evidence or When was it written? Who is
Archaeological Evidence the targeted audience?
• One of the most important
unwritten pieces of evidence. Secondary sources
• Includes artistic creations such • Materials made by people long
as pottery, jewelry, dwellings, after the event being described
graves, churches, roads, and had taken place to provide
others that tell a story about valuable interpretations of
the past. historical events.
• It analyses and interprets the
Artifacts primary source.
• can tell a great deal about • Never the happenings or the
the ways of life of people events.
in the past, and their • Ex. Biographies, histories,
culture. They also reveal a literary criticism, books
great deal about socio- written by a third party, art
cultural interconnections of and theater reviews,
the different groups of newspaper, or journal
people. articles.