CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY: DEFINITION, ISSUES,

SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY
 HISTORY
• DERIVED FROM THE GREEK WORD “HISTORIA” WHICH
MEANS “KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED THROUGH INQUIRY OR
INVESTIGATION.”
• 2,400 YEARS EXISTED AS A DISCIPLINE AND AS OLD AS
MATHEMATICS AND PHILOSOPHY.
• TERM ADAPTED BY L ATIN WHERE IT REQUIRED A NEW
DEFINITION, ACCOUNT OF THE PAST OF A PERSON OR
GROUP OF PEOPLE THROUGH WRITTEN DOCUMENTS AND
• NOT TO SEEK HISTORICAL EVIDENCES AND FACTS BUT
ALSO INTERPRET THESE FACTS.

• TO GIVE MEANING TO THESE FACTS AND ORGANIZE THEM

INTO A TIMELINE.

• A PERSON OF HIS OWN WHO IS INFLUENCED BY HIS OWN

CONTEXT, ENVIRONMENT, IDEOLOGY, EDUCATION, AND
INFLUENCES.

• HIS INTERPRETATION OF THE HISTORICAL FACT IS AFFECTED

BY HIS CONTEXT AND CIRCUMSTANCES.

• HIS SUBJECTIVELY WILL INEVITABLY INFLUENCE THE

PROCESS OF HIS HISTORICAL RESEARCH: THE
METHODOLOGY HE WILL USE, THE FACTS HE SHALL SELECT
AND DEEM RELEVANT, HIS INTERPRETATION AND THE FORM
OF HIS WRITINGS.
FACTS CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
IT IS THE HISTORIAN’S JOB NOT JUST TO
SEEK HISTORICAL EVIDENCES AND FACTS
BUT ALSO TO INTERPRET THEM. IT IS
THEIR JOB TO GIVE MEANING TO THESE
FACTS AND ORGANIZE THEM INTO
TIMELINE, ESTABLISH CAUSES, AND WRITE
HISTORY.
 HISTORICAL
METHODOLOGY
• COMPRISES CERTAIN TECHNIQUES AND RULES
THAT HISTORIANS FOLLOW IN ORDER TO PROPERLY
UTILIZE SOURCES AND HISTORICAL EVIDENCES IN
WRITING HISTORY.
UNLESS A WRITTEN DOCUMENT CAN
PROVE A CERTAIN HISTORICAL EVENT,
THEN IT CANNOT BE CONSIDERED AS
A HISTORICAL FACT.
SOME VALID HISTORICAL
DOCUMENTS
• GOVERNMENT RECORDS
• CHRONICLER’S ACCOUNTS
• PERSONAL LETTERS
• RESTRICTING HISTORICAL EVIDENCE AS
EXCLUSIVELY WRITTEN IS A DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST OTHER SOCIAL CLASSES WHO WERE
NOT RECORDED IN PAPER.
• OTHERS GOT THEIR HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
BURNED OR DESTROYED IN THE EVENTS OF
WAR OR COLONIZATION.
•

•
•

•
HISTORICAL
S OURCES
 TWO CLASSIFICATION

1. PRIMARY SOURCES
2. SECONDARY SOURCES
PRIMARY SOURCES
 SECONDARY SOURCES
•

•
•
HISTORIOGRAPHY
•
•
•

HISTORICAL WRITINGS
LAGUNA COPPER PLATE
EARLIEST LEGAL DOCUMENT 900 CE
LANGUAGES