History_ Assign
Module Overview
Changing Historical Interpretations Over Time
As a part of their education and professional development, historians are trained in historiography, the study of how other historians have written about the past. Historians must be aware of what has been previously written about their subject for a number of reasons. First, historians want to make original contributions to their field. Knowing what others have said before is essential to avoiding redundant work. Historians also study what others have written about the past because the passage of time impacts historical interpretation.
The fact that historical interpretations change over time can be confusing. Those who are not familiar with the study of history sometimes use the term revisionist history with derision; to them, it seems that the narrative of the past cannot be changed, since the past should be a fixed point of facts. However, our interpretations of the past do change, often due to the times in which we live.
Consider the following: Prior to the beginning of the twentieth century, many of the histories that could be found in libraries and schools were about great men like George Washington and James Madison, or about great events like the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The nations historical narrative told stories of progress. Educated men who had the luxury of time and money wrote these histories. At the turn of that century, however, the Progressive Era birthed reformers who sought to enact social and economic change in American society. Historians who wrote in this era showed signs of being impacted by the times that they lived in; they wrote about economic division. Eventually, however, other historians questioned the Progressive interpretation of the past. In the post-WWII era when Cold War fears were high and American unity was emphasized, consensus interpretations of the past emerged and challenged the narrative of division penned by Progressive historians. Following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and amidst the Vietnam War and womens liberation movement, historians interpreted history from the perspective of average individuals. Their subjects fought as enlisted men, worked in a variety of occupations, and were African Americans, immigrants, women, and children. Other historians observed the power of ideas in all of these periods and insisted that ideological interpretations of the past could not be discounted.
As you can see, the histories that you read today have been impacted by the times in which they were written. Without a doubt, the histories that are written in the future will also be impacted by the times in which the authors live. For example, as Baby Boomer historians grow older, we might see age grow in popularity as a category of historical analysis. As you begin your own research, be mindful of the times, including the one you currently occupy.
Planning for Research
After developing a research question, the historian must think critically about his or her research goals. This is not to say that the historian should firmly hold on to a preconceived answer to a research question; such an approach could lead the historian to ignore vital information that points to a conclusion that is different from the one imagined at the onset of the research project. Instead, the historian must be mindful of the various answers that the research question might produce. The historian must also be prepared to separate the events of the past from the cultural expectations, attitudes, and values of the present, while still remembering that some shared experiences with the past remain. In other words, the historian must be prepared to place questions of who, what, when, where, and why in the proper context. Research requires mental preparation on the part of the historian.
The nature of the historians work also requires that he or she track down numerous primary and secondary sources. Sources are sometimes spread across multiple locations, and the historian must often find sources in a set amount of time. Additionally, a budget can also affect a project, as financial constraints can tighten the geographic area in which a researcher can feasibly travel. As such, the best approach to gathering the needed sources in a financially viable and set amount of time is to develop a research plan. The historian must examine personal holdings to see what information he or she already possesses and determine what types of sources need to be found. In order to do this, the historian might search through books and journal articles found in the local library. By paying attention to the sources used in other texts, the historian can learn where to look for other primary and secondary sources. The historian might also run a preliminary internet search related to the research question. Consulting immediate sources can lead the historian to repositories that hold vital information and that are worth the effort to explore.
Historical Context
One of the historians most important tasks when studying a historical topic is to place that topic in the greater context of the world in which the topic occurred. No historical event occurs in a vacuum, or in isolation from the world around it. Important events are connected to other events, sometimes in ways that were not apparent at the time. The historian needs to find and recreate those connections between the topic under consideration and the greater sweep of history. This is what makes the study of a topic significant for the rest of the world, which may not have been affected by a single event.
It can be difficult to define the relevant context for a historic topic. There is a lot happening around the world at any given time, and it can be difficult to identify specific trends that influenced the topic, or trends that the topic influenced. If you were researching a topic in the United States during the 1950s, for example, you should be aware of many political, cultural, and other trends that might be relevant. In the 1950s, the United States was engaged in a Cold War with the Soviet Union and a hot war in Korea; Red Scares swept the nation; Sputnik inaugurated the space race; Elvis Presley rocked the nation; televisions began to pop up in homes across the country; Americans idealized the nuclear family in the suburbs with the stay-at-home mom, but few lived that life; the civil rights movement gained steam through boycotts and court decisions; and the moderate political consensus that had predominated after World War II began to fracture.
It is hard to know which of these trends are relevant to a specific topic, but it is your job as a historian to figure that out. You will probably need to read books and articles that are only indirectly related to your research topic in order to establish the context. Only after you have a good knowledge of what was happening in the greater context will you be able to make connections and determine the significance of your topic.
Exercice1
Identify two secondary sources from your selected topic. The secondary resources will review two historical events that impacted your research topic. Complete the Historical Context Chart to explore the how these events inform the historical context of your topic and support your thesis statement.
To complete this assignment, use this
Historical Context Chart
.
Here is my relevant topic:
