INTRODUCTIO

N TO
HISTORY

Ged 105 – Readings in Philippine History

INTENDED LEARNING
OUTCOMES (ILO):
1. Analyze the context, content and perspective
of different kinds of sources.
 OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the meaning of history as an academic
discipline and to be familiar with the underlying philosophy
and methodology of the discipline.
2. Know the difference between primary and secondary sources
3. Examine and assess critically the value of historical
evidences and sources
4. Appreciate research method in history
 HISTORY:
Introduction
and
Historical Sources
 A. DEFINITION
 History refers to the study and interpretation by a historian on the data and other
source of the past human activity, people, societies and civilizations leading to
the present day.
 There are three important concepts in the definition:
- First, history as we all know it is based on past events.
- Second, it is interpreted by someone usually by historian. They gather,
discard and interpret the sources that they encounter.
- Finally and the most important, history rely on data and documents which
historian call as historical sources.
B. HISTORY’S SUBJECT MATTER
 Like other social science, the subject matter of history is the life of people and
humanity. But history has always been known as the study of the past. While
this definition of history is not wrong, it is incomplete.
 Etymologically, the word history came from the Greek word “Historia”
which means inquiry. Clearly the word Historia does not mean past events. It
denotes asking question or investigation of the past done by person trained to
do so or by persons who are interested in human past. We can say that
historical account must be based on all available relevant evidence. Therefore,
a version of the past that cannot be supported by the evidence is worthless.
B. HISTORY’S SUBJECT MATTER
 Ever heard the taong-ahas story? The half human, half snake
creature that supposedly stalked the ladies room of one of the
department store in Manila. The most famous victim of this
creature was supposedly the actress Alice Dixson. It happened
three decades ago when Alice Dixson was only 21 years old.
Because it happened in the past, would that story qualify as
history? Or would that story classify as gossip or urban legend?
C. HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN
 Historian is an expert or student of history, especially that of a particular
period, geographical region or social phenomenon.
 Duties of a historian:
- They seek not only historical evidence and facts but also to interpret these
facts.
 - They also gives meaning to these facts and organizes them
chronologically. A person who must be able to recognize the evidence, decide
how useful it is and come to conclusion based on what he has found out.
- They are responsible for reconstructing the past.
C. HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN
 According to Gottschalk, historian is many times removed from
the events under investigation. He added that only a part of what
was observed in the past was remembered by those who observed
it, only a part of what was remembered was recorded; only a part
of what was recorded has survived, only a part of what was
survive has come to the historian attention. Moreover, only a part
of what is credible has been grasped, and only a part of what has
been grasped can expounded or narrated by the historian.
 Some authors define history as a study of historical perspective.
 In reconstructing the past, a historian can be subjective; after all he
is human, fallible and capable error. People’s memories are filled
with bias, self righteousness, pride, vanity, spinning, obstruction
and outright lies. Each has his own frame of reference or a set of
interlocking values, loyalties, assumptions, interest and principle of
action. The historian is influenced by his own environment,
ideology, education and influence. His interpretation of the
historical fact is affected by his context and circumstances. It’s like
the Indian parable of an elephant and the blind men, historians have
different historical perspective.
 Because certain events happened so long ago and
because sometimes the evidence is incomplete,
historians have different approaches and views about
what happened in the past. This is the subjective nature
of history, one historian claims an event happened a
certain way, while another disagree completely.
 The best approach is to do all we can to reconstruct as
fully as possible our picture of the past. To do this, most
scholars use historiography or what they call history of
history.
 Historiography is the study of how history was
written, by whom and why it was recorded as such. It
is concerned with how historians have presented
history. Interpretation about the past can be objective
or true as long as they are free of inherent
contradictions, are not contrary to the laws of nature
and are based on actual remains from the time period
referred to.
 There should also a scientific discourse among
historians on a particular controversial event. If an idea
that say Jose Rizal retracted on being a mason stand up
to the critique of historian who are the skeptical of his
retraction then the idea must be true.
 One big advantage of historiography is that the liars of
history are usually quite transparent.
 Another way for a historian to be objective is to follow
the historical method. It is the core protocols historians’
use for handling sources. An agreed ground rules for
researching and writing academic research or
professional history.
 An objective historian must verify sources, to date
them, locate the place of origin and identify their
intended functions. It is important for a historian to
base their accounts on source materials.
IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING
PHILIPPINE HISTORY
 Through Philippine History, we’ve learned and observed the beginning and
development of our country.
 It strengthens our sense of nationalism.
 It develops our national identity and prevents colonial mentality.
 Learning our history reminds us that we are very rich in resources.
 We’ve learned how to fight, defend ourselves and protect our territory from
colonizers.
 We appreciate the effort and achievement of Filipino heroes.
 History unites us as one and molds us to be responsible Filipino citizens.
D. SOURCES OF HISTORY
 Historical sources are tangible remains of
the past. It is an object from the past or
testimony concerning the past on which
historians depend in order to create their
own depiction of the past. There are three
kinds of sources namely: primary,
secondary, and tertiary sources.
PRIMARY SOURCES
 A primary source is a testimony of an individual who was a
participant in or a direct witness to the event that is being
described.
 It is a document or physical object which was written or
created during the time under a study. Those sources were
present during an experience or time period and offer an
inside view of a particular event.
PRIMARY SOURCES
 Primary sources are characterized by their content,
regardless of whether they are available in original
format, in microfilm, in digital format or in published
format.
5 MAIN CATEGORIES OF PRIMARY
SOURCES
 WRITTEN SOURCES

- They are the most common source.

- They are written or printed materials that have been
produced in one form or another sometime in the past.
-They may be published materials such as travelogue,
transcription of speech, autobiographies, journals or
newspapers.
 WRITTEN SOURCES
-They can be also in manuscript form or any handwritten or
type record that has not been printed.
- Example of these is archival materials, memoirs, diary,
personal letter or correspondence.
- A primary source must have been produced by a
contemporary of the event it narrates
- A primary source is a document or physical object which
was written or created during the time under study.
 Written Sources

Travelogue Newspaper Archival Material Memoir

 NUMERICAL RECORDS
- This includes any type of numerical data in printed
or handwritten form.

Printed Numerical Graph

 ORAL STATEMENTS
- This includes any form of statement made orally
by an eyewitness.
- It maybe through video recordings, audio
recordings, or transcribed.
 “My first day was a scary one. There was a patient whose earlobes were so
long…he had no nose, only two holes on his face, and no fingers, only the
palm of his hands…the other patients were in different stages of deformity.”
Sr. Maria Luisa Montenegro, SPC 1940
Oral statement of an eyewitness to the Culion Leper Colony

A person interviewing an
eyewitness
 RELICS
- This includes any objects whose physical or
visual characteristics can provide some
information about the past.
- These include artifacts, ruins and fossils.
Artifacts (Balanginga Bells) Ruins (Cagsawa Ruins)

Fossils (Callao man)

 IMAGES
- It includes photograph, posters, paintings,
drawing cartoons and maps.

Photograph (Bud Dajo Massacre)

 Painting
(Making of the Philippine Flag)

Cartoon

Map
SECONDARY SOURCES
 A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary
sources.
 These sources are one or more steps removed from the
event.
 It is prepared by an individual who was not direct
witness to an event, but not who obtained his or her
description of the event from someone else.
SECONDARY SOURCES
 Secondary sources may have pictures, votes or
graphics of primary sources in them.
 Some types of secondary sources are history textbook,
printed materials (serials or periodicals which
interpret previews research), biographies, nonfiction
text such as newspaper, magazine, journals, works of
criticism and interpretation.
Practical Example
 TOPIC: Tejeros Convention
 PRIMARY SOURCE: Santiago Alvarez’
account
 SECONDARY SOURCE: Teodoro Agoncillo’s
Revolt of the Masses
TERTIARY SOURCE
 It provides third hand information by reporting ideas and details
from secondary source.
 An eyewitness is more reliable than testimony at second hand,
which is more reliable than hearsay or tertiary sources. This does
not mean that tertiary sources have no value, merely that they
include potential for an additional layer of bias.
 Some examples of this kind of source are encyclopedia, almanac,
Wikipedia, YouTube, dictionaries, message boards, social media
sites and other search sites.