Who killed Geertjen Visser And why the answer
- Slides: 14
Who killed Geertjen Visser? And why the answer does not matter? Barry Firth CPUT Mowbray ISHD/SASHT Vanderbijlpark 2017
The fairest Cape?
A series of unfortunate events Friday evening March 1692 1. 2. 3. Geertjen Visser (wife of the farmer) Maria van Negaputnum ( house slave) Claes van Mallebar (field slave)
What we know � Claes van Mallebar was executed for the crime. � AR VOC 4030 14 March 1692 fol 328
Consider your verdict Crime: � Murder of Geertjen Visser � Sole � Motive � Maria � Body / weapon Evidence eye-witness van Negaputnum
Cross examination reveals ‘the constructed nature of narrative’ � Who is the witness? � What is the accused? � Who else could be involved? � What are the power relations?
What the court never considered � Coenraad Visser ( husband) had fathered two children with Maria van Negaputnam before the death of Geertjen. � After the death of Geertjen a further 4 children are baptised: � The mother? Maria van Negaputnam
Teaching history teachers
Making every second count complexity Historical thinking enjoyment
Not just knowing history but doing history � “New History” � Demands that we allow learners to construct…not just receive a narrative. � Using the tools of the historian
Who killed Geertjen Visser? � What the students said: � Students (all female) � Claes van Mallebar (Guilty) � Coenraad Visser (Guilty) � Not sure 35 5 10 20
What they wrote… ‘A language of doubt’ �“ It is likely that Maria and Coenraad colluded to blame Claes” � “Claes had no power to fight back” � “Coenraad and Maria had an affair”
What I found: � Using the Mantle of the Expert as the methodology of choice drew the learners into genuine consideration. � They experienced struggling with evidence, reliability/ and overcoming their prejudice. � Initially they either blamed Claes or Maria. � Because Coenraad was invisible they did not consider him.
So who killed Geertjen? � Who killed JFK ? � Who killed Jon. Benet ? � Who killed Azaria Chamberlain ?
