How Does a Historian Work Chapter 1 Lesson

How Does a Historian Work? Chapter 1, Lesson 2

What is Evidence? ► Evidence – Something that shows proof or indication that something is true. § May be material objects, such as documents or soldier’s uniform.

Primary and Secondary Sources ► Primary evidence Source – firsthand pieces of § Created by people who saw or experienced an event. § May be written, spoken, or a material object § Helps historians learn what people were thinking while the events took place.

Primary and Secondary Sources ► Secondary Source – Created after an event by people who did not experience it. § Often based on primary sources. § Ex: Textbooks, Encyclopedias, History Books.

Reliable Sources ► Domesday Book – A long list of manors and the names of their owners. § This book was created A. D. 1086 by administrators under William I. § A primary source from the period. § The historian’s job is to analyze and interpret the information. § Was it a secret letter? Was it a document for a king? Was it written for public knowledge?

What is a Point of View? ► Point of View – Personal attitude about people or life § It is an opinion about whether a source is reliable or reliable in its facts. § Authors of primary sources use their point of views to decide what information is important and what to include in their document. § May show bias (unreasoned, emotional judgment about people and events). NOTE: These sources cannot always be trusted.

Writing About History ► Inference – Choosing the most likely explanation for the facts at hand. § Ex: Someone walking into a room with a dripping umbrella and raincoat. You can infer that it is raining. The dripping umbrella with prior knowledge of about weather to infer that it’s raining.

Writing about History ► Inference is much more complex when studying history. § Check evidence in primary sources and compare it to already trustworthy sources. § They then check secondary sources to see differences of opinion. § Historians do this to get a well rounded view of what happened.

Looking at History ► Historians sometimes take their data and artifacts and write a scholarly article. ► Scholarly – concerned with academic learning or research § May become a book and reviewed by other scholars for accuracy.

Focusing Research ► Some historians keep their areas of study very narrow, or finite. § Someone could spend an entire career studying the events of one day. § Ex: A. D. 79 Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in that region (Now Italy) erupted and wiped out the city of Pompeii.

Drawing Conclusions ► Conclusion – final decision reached through reasoning. § Ex: A friend wears T-shirts from concerts he goes to. He also can’t hang out on Thursdays because he has guitar lessons. You can conclude that he really likes music.

Historical Interpretations ► Interpretations – Explanation of the meaning of something § Was Genghis Khan a blood thirsty warrior? ►Historians may look at how he conquered lands. § Genghis Khan great empire was prosperous and stable ►Peace, Prosperity, and stability are observed in central and eastern Asia during this time as well as higher learning and consistent laws.