Challenges to Studying History

Study Notes

Perception: how we see things is specific to our view, and no two people will see the same situation in the same way, making it harder to study history.
Distortion: when senses are fooled, and we are made to believe something that may not be true or real, making it harder to track timelines and gain information on events.
Fragmentation: limited information can lead to false ideas on events that occurred, especially in the past.

Bias: prejudice in favor or against one thing, person, or group compared with another in a way that is unfair.
Examples of bias:
- Older generations have bias towards newer traditions and customs.
- Political party bias.
- Society's bias towards people who are more conventionally attractive.

Columbus never set foot on North American shores or unfurled the Spanish flag there; he landed on the Bahamas shores.
Millions of people had already been living in North America, and Leif Eriksson was the first European there, nearly 5 centuries ago.
Columbus had a contract with the Spanish monarch, naming him the admiral, viceroy, and governor of any land he found.
He forced the natives on Hispaniola, the Taino, into slavery and punished them with the loss of limb or death.
The Taino population was essentially killed off by the torture and infectious diseases brought by Europeans.
Columbus was arrested by Spanish monarchs when they found out about his mistreatment and was stripped of his governor title.

Facts: exact and specific things that happened that can be proved to be true again and again.
Opinions: views, impressions, or feelings that are not exact and can't be fully proved.

Primary source: a direct source of information about an event, person, or thing (e.g., trench letter).
Secondary source: an indirect source of information about an event, person, or thing (e.g., history textbook).

Way to unify the nation and solidify Canada as a place on the continent.
Complete railroad to link Toronto to the west coast – was promised to BC for joining.
Use railway to settle the west and encourage immigration.
Put in taxes and tariffs to protect Canada's young businesses.