Readings in Philippines History | HIS101
Lesson 1: HISTORY (Meaning, Importance & Relevance)
WHAT IS HISTORY?
History
— derived from the Greek term, “historia”, which means ‘inquiry or
knowledge acquired by investigation’
— according to Aristotle – “History is a systematic account of a set of
natural phenomena which are arranged in their chronological or-
der.”
— according to Thucydides & Herodotus – “History is a learning in-
quiry about the past of mankind.”
— according to Edward Hallett Carr – “History is a never-ending dia-
logue of events between the past and the present.”
— according to Will Durant – “History is a narrative of events of what
civilized men have thought and done in the past.”
— according to Jawaharlal Nehru – “History is a story of man from
barbarism to civilization.”
— it requires readers to examine every information coming from the
source to justify the cause of a certain event and to identify the rea-
sons for the actions of the personalities involved.
Histography
— refers to the how, what, and why history is written
— about the methods and practices used in producing history
— the development of history as a discipline, or the philosophy
— significance of historical writing
— the writing of history based on the critical examination of the
sources, the selection of details from the authentic materials used in
those sources, and the synthesis of details into a narrative that stands
the test of critical examination
Prehistory
— refers to that period where information of the past were recorded in
materials other that written documents, which may not be under-
stood by a historian. These include artifacts, drawings, paintings,
sculptures and any other forms.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY?
1. It helps every person to draw conclusion from the past events helping
the person to understand himself by being acquainted with other peo-
ple.
2. It helps the person or government avoid the pitfalls of the present by
knowing the rise and fall of the rulers, government and empires.
3. It makes a person’s life richer and fuller.
4. It broadens a person’s outlook in life.
5. It enables a person to grasp his relationship with the past.
6. It helps social and political scientists and researchers engaged in re-
search.
7. It preserves cultural values of a nation because it guides society in
confronting various crisis.
WHY STUDY HISTORY?
1. History helps us understand people and societies.
It offers the only extensive evidential base for the contempla-
tion and analysis of how societies function.
2. History helps us understand change and how the society that we
live in came to be.
The past causes the present, and so the future.
3. History contributes to moral understanding.
History also provides a terrain for moral contemplation.
Studying the stories of individuals and situations in the past al-
lows a student of history to test his or her own moral sense.
4. History provides identity.
Historical data include evidence about how families, groups,
institutions and whole countries were formed and about how they
have evolved while retaining cohesion.
5. Studying history is essential for good citizenship.
It promotes ration identity and loyalty through a history spiced
by vivid stories and lessons in individual success and morality.
It encourages habits of mind that are vital for responsible pub-
lic behavior.
WHAT ARE THE SKILLS DEVELOPED THROUGH STUDYING
HISTORY
1. The ability to access evidence.
— builds experience dealing with and assessing various kinds of evi-
dence
— to interpret the statements of past political leaders
— ability to make coherent arguments based on a variety of data
2. The ability to assess conflicting interpretations.
— gaining some skill in sorting through diverse, often conflicting in-
terpretations
— teach the need for assessing arguments, and it provides opportuni-
ties to engage in debate and achieve perspective
3. Experience in assessing past examples of change.
— analysis of change means developing some capacity for determin-
ing the magnitude and significance of change
— comparing changes to relevant examples from the past helps stu-
dents of history develop this capacity
WHAT ARE THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SEC-
ONDARY SOURCES?
Primary Sources
— original records of a certain event by people who have experience or
witnessed it
— original works such as letters, legislations newspaper articles, diaries,
interviews, government documents, reports, photographs, literature
and other creative outputs
Secondary Source
— records based on primary sources
— they explain a certain event of the past through evaluation and inter-
pretation of the records
— researches, textbooks, journals, commentaries, biographies, and criti-
cisms or reviews of literary and creative works
Unwritten Sources
1. Archeological evidence
Archeological evidence refers to remains such as artifacts and
ecofacts which help a historian in determining the culture of the area
where the evidence was found. Similarly, the ways of life of people,
including their artistic expressions, have been etched in these materi-
als. Archeological pieces of evidence include tools, ornaments, fix-
tures, etc.
2. Oral evidence
Oral evidence pertains to folktales, myths, legends, folk songs
and popular rituals. These sources might contain information pertain-
ing to the culture of the people who created them. These pieces of evi-
dence can also give a glimpse of the people’s economic activities at a
given time, especially their socio-political organization and social
condition.
3. Material evidence
Material evidence includes photographs, art works, videos, and
sound recordings.
THE USE OF PRIMARY SOURCES IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF
THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
1. Direct contact with the original records and artifacts invites students
to explore the content with active and deeper analysis, and to re-
spond thoughtfully.
2. Critical thinking is developed as students probe the context, purpose,
meaning, bias, and perspectives in their analysis of the past.
3. In the interactions with the various sources from the past, a learn-led
inquiry is being fostered.
4. There is a realization that history reflects various perspectives of
those who interpret the past events.
5. It brings back to story to history allowing students to share the au-
thor’s perspectives.
THE REPOSITORIES OF HISTORICAL SOURCES
Repositories
— is a virtual safe for storing information or abstract articles
Depositories
— is a physical storage; an organization, bank, warehouse, or institute
stores valuables—securities, assets, and money
Philippine Depositories
1. National Library of the Philippines
2. Archives of the University of Santo Tomas
Readings in Philippines History | HIS101
3. National Archives of the Philippines If I tell you something, I am the primary source. If you tell someone else
4. Archdiocesan Archives of Manila what I told you, you are the secondary source.
5. Manila Observatory Archives
Philippine Constitution
Spanish Depositories — The primary sources include the Record of the 1986 Constitutional
1. Archive General de Indias (Seville) Commission, proclamations, speeches of the 48 representatives who
2. Archivo Historico Nacional (Madrid) collectively drafted the current Constitution, and the text of the Con-
3. Museo Naval de la Ministerio de Marina (Madrid) stitution itself.
4. Real Academia de la Historia (Madrid) — Its secondary sources, on the other hand, may include textbooks, an-
5. Biblioteca Nacional de Espania (Madrid)
notations, and published opinions about the Constitution.
6. Archivo de Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (Madrid)
Advantages of Primary Sources
American Depositories
— Primary sources provide a window into the past – unfiltered access
1. National Archive and Records Service (NARS)
to the record of artistic, social, scientific and political thought and
2. Library of Congress (Washington D.C.)
achievement during the specific period under study, produced by peo-
3. Ayer Collection of the Newberry Library (Chicago, Illinois)
ple who live during that period.
4. Lily Library (Bloomington, Indiana)
— These unique, often profoundly personal, documents and objects can
5. Harvard University
give a very real sense of what it was like to be alive during the lost
6. Stanford University
past era.
7. University of Michigan
Disadvantages of Primary Sources
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERNAL AND EXTER-
— Primary sources are often incomplete and have little context. Stu-
NAL CRITICISM?
dents must use prior knowledge and work with multiple primary
Internal Criticism
sources to find patterns.
— seek to falsify or demonstrate its discontinuity with an idea of hy-
— In analyzing primary sources, students move from concrete observa-
pothetically assuming its truth in order to prove some internal in-
tions and facts to questioning and making inferences about materials.
consistency or contradiction with it
— established the “creativity”
Advantages of Secondary Sources
— Secondary sources can provide analysis, synthesis, interpretation,
External Criticism
or evaluation of the original information.
— seek to falsify in idea without hypothetically assuming its truth
— Secondary sources are best for uncovering background of histori-
— determine the “authenticity”
cal information about a topic by exposing you to other’s perspec-
tives, interpretations, and conclusions.
Lesson 2: Distinction Between Primary and Secondary Sources
— allows a reader to get expert views of events and often bring together
multiple primary sources relevant to the subject matter
Historical Source
— an object from the past or testimony concerning the past on which
Disadvantages of Primary Sources
the historians depend in order to create their own depiction of the past
— their reliability and validity are open to question, and often they do
not provide exact information
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCE
— they do not represent firsthand knowledge of a subject or event
 What are they?
 Advantages and Disadvantages of using primary and secondary — there are countless books, journals, magazine articles and web
sources pages that attempt to interpret the past and finding good secondary
 Categories sources can be an issue

Primary Source EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CRITICISMS

— enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually hap- Historical Method
pened during a historical event or time period — refers to the process of probing primary sources that will be used in
— are original records of a certain event by people who have actually writing history
experienced or witnessed it — this includes sources criticism which studies the internal and exter-
1) Diaries and Journals nal validity of sources
2) Autobiographies
3) Sound Recordings and Interviews Historical Sources
4) Letters — include documents, artifacts, archeological sites, features, oral
transmissions, stone inscriptions, paintings, recorded sounds, and
Secondary Source oral history
— are records based on primary sources. They explain a certain event — even ancient relics and ruins, broadly speaking, are historical
of the past through evaluation and interpretation of the records sources
created during a historical period.
— are written “after the fact” – that is a later date HOW TO EVALUATE HISTORIAL SOURCES
— Usually, the author of the secondary source will have studied the pri- Evaluation of Historical Sources
mary sources of a historical period or event and will the interpret the 1. Credibility
“evidence” found in these sources. Credibility is defined as “the quality or power of inspiring be-
lief”. Credible sources, therefore, must be reliable sources that pro-
— you can think of secondary sources as second-hand information
vide information that one can believe to be true.
1) Researches
2. Authenticity
2) Textbooks
It refers to the proven fact that something is legitimate or
3) Journals
real.
4) Commentaries
3. Provenance
5) Biographies
Provenance refers to the sources of information, such as enti-
6) Criticism or review of literary and creative works
ties processes, involved in producing or delivering artifact.
— Secondary source materials can be articles in newspapers, maga-
zines, books, or articles found that evaluate or criticize someone
External Criticisms
else’s original research.
— Historians determine the authenticity of sources by examining the
date, locale, creator, analysis and integrity of the historical sources.
— These information must be consistent with each other.
Readings in Philippines History | HIS101
— It means, for example, that the material used in a source must match  Argument – also called the purpose; the author’s stand or opinion in
the time and place when it was produced. the narrative
 Attitude – almost similar to argument, but reflects the mood more,
How it is done? which is observed on how the author addresses his or her argument
— Appearance of the source – reflects the current situation and emotion of the author in
— Consistency with the historical period the material at the time it was written or made
— Medium of the source
— Quality of the paper and ink used CONTENT VS CONTEXT ANALYSIS
— The grammar/handwriting of the author or creator Content
— the subjects or topic covered in a book or document
Methods to Examine a Primary Source — the matter dealt with in a field of study
— Linguistics
— Archeology Context
— Numismatics — the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a spe-
— Philately cific passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect
— Paleography — the parts of a discourse that surround a word or passage and can throw
— Cryptography light on its meaning
— DNA Technology — the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs
— Cartography
— Radio Carbon Dating The main difference between content analysis and contextual analysis is
that content analysis focuses on the internal features of a primary source,
Internal Criticism while contextual analysis focuses on the external factors that influenced
— It helps the historians determine the credibility of the source. the creation of the source.
— It studies the content of the source to know its truthfulness. For a
source to be valid, its content must be reasonable and historically Content analysis can be used to answer questions such as:
precise. — What are the main topics discussed in the source?
— One should now rely on a data which is not supported by the evi- — What are the author’s main arguments or point of view?
dence. — What biases does the author have?
— What emotions does the author express?
How it is done? — What kind of language does the author use?
— Historians carefully read the text of the source for context.
— Focus on attention of the author or creator Contextual analysis can be used to answer questions such as:
— Situation surrounding its existence — When and where was the source created?
— Intended audience or reader — Who is the author of the source?
— What was the author’s background and perspective?
WHY IS EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CRITICISM IMPORTANT? — What was the historical context in which the source was created?
Internal and External Criticism — What was the purpose of the source?
— Use unverified, falsified, and untruthful historical sources can lead to — Who was the intended audience for the source?
equally false conclusion.
— Without thorough criticisms of historical events, historical decep- A. Background of the Author/Creator
tions and lies will be highly probable (possible).  Family background, educational attainment, religion, and
— to avoid historical distortion many others shall be given priority in presenting the biography
of the author.
Lesson 3: Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary B. Background of the Document/Primary Source
Sources  Basic background of the source like the type of primary
source, how many parts, chapters, how long is the docu-
Historical Method ment shall be given attention. Next is to locate where the pri-
— process of systematically examining an account of what has hap- mary sources can be found.
pened in the past  Determine also the intended audience or the people the author
— uses historical criticism to evaluate historical sources wants to convey.
 Look for the purpose or motive of the source.
Importance of Historical Method C. Content Analysis of the Important Historical Information Found
— finding solutions for contemporary problems in the Document
— understanding the trends for present and future  First, look for the corroboration between the research you
— understanding importance and repercussions found in cultures gathered from the Internet and the primary source that
your instructor has given to you. Look also if your source
— reevaluation of presented historical data and factoids
agrees with information from another source. Attention also
must be given to the intended audience and purpose.
Historical Context
D. Contribution and Relevance of the Document in Understanding
— the broader social, political, and cultural conditions of a specific time
the Grand Narrative of Philippine History
period
 In this activity, look for the cause and consequences of the pri-
— The source’s intended audience is typically considered part of the his-
mary sources.
torical context of a primary source.
 In this part of the analysis, look also for the turning point.
— It is important for historians to identify and understand the historical E. Relevance of the Documents to the Present Time
context of a primary source because it interprets the source accurately  Look for the historical significance or what modern people
and gain insights into its significance. consider to be important from the past.
— The role of historical context in historical research is to provide back-  How to determine the significance of the event? We have to
ground information that helps historians connect the source to other follow the acronym NAME or Novelty, Applicability, Mem-
contemporary events and trends. ory and Effect.

The Author’s Perspective *ADDITIONAL INFO*

 Background – a short history about the author’s life Economic History
 Point-of-View – perspective used by the author that determines the — examines the development and impact of economic system, trade, fi-
approximate “distance” of the author to the narrative he or she is writ- nancial institution in different time period and region
ing
Readings in Philippines History | HIS101
Environmental History
— branch of history that deals with the study of past events, people, and
society from the perspective of impact on natural environment

Social History
— focuses on the experience, daily life, and social structure of ordinary
people, including aspects like family, work, and community

Art History
— area of history that explores the development of artistic movement,
style, and cultural expressions across different time period and geo-
graphical regions