READPHI REVIEWER History Module 1

♡ READPHI REVIEWER ♡ Module 1: Relevance of History / Primary and Secondary Sources ❖ What is History? The study and writing of history have Greek origins. The word "history" comes from the Greek word historia, meaning “learning” or “knowing by inquiry.” Herodo...

♡ READPHI REVIEWER ♡ Module 1: Relevance of History / Primary and Secondary Sources ❖ What is History? The study and writing of history have Greek origins. The word "history" comes from the Greek word historia, meaning “learning” or “knowing by inquiry.” Herodotus is considered the father of history. For Aristotle, history meant a systematic account of natural phenomena. In modern terms, history is defined as “the past of mankind”, though this past is largely irretrievable. ❖ Objectivity and Subjectivity in History History is derived from both artifacts (objects from the past) and documents, but many facts are drawn from testimony, meaning they are subjective. Artifacts and documents are key sources of history, but facts of history are often subjective as they exist in the historian’s mind. Subjective knowledge exists in the mind of the observer or historian and may be influenced by personal interpretation. Objective knowledge, in contrast, is considered factual and unbiased. However, historians often rely on subjective interpretations of facts to recreate past events. History aims to interpret and describe events, explaining not only what happened but also why and how they were interconnected. ❖ Artifacts as Sources of History Artifacts are physical remains from past events, while documents are written records of events. Both are essential raw materials for writing history. Historians aim to be both descriptive (describing what happened, when, where, and who was involved) and interpretative (explaining why and how things happened and were related). The task of a historian is not just to describe the past but to re-create it as accurately as possible through constant correction of their mental images. ❖ Historical Method and Historiography Historical method: The process of critically examining and analyzing records from the past. Historiography: The writing of history, which involves the imaginative reconstruction of the past based on data gathered from historical method. Historians must distinguish between re-creation (based on evidence) and creation (inventing facts), which differentiates history from fiction, poetry, or drama. 6 Historical Method 1. Topic selection 2. Sources collection 3. Sources criticism 4. Synthesis 5. Narrative 6. Revision / Peer review ❖ Primary vs. Secondary Sources Primary sources - a testimony from an eyewitness or a participant in the events being described. This can also include mechanical devices (e.g., a Dictaphone) that recorded events. - Are valuable not because they are original, but because they come from firsthand accounts. Characteristics: Creation at the time First Hand Account - people in the event itself Original Material - raw data (fresh/creative ideas, untranslated, earliest/unpolished, unmodified/untampered, earliest available info) Secondary sources - Accounts of someone who was not directly present during the events. - Interpret and analyze primary sources but lack firsthand experience. Characteristics: Creation after event Interpretative  Synthesized Content (compilation) ❖ How to Determine? Creation Date Author’s role (narrator/interpreter) Purpose Is it original? (new idea/interpretation) ❖ Original can have multiple meanings in historical analysis: Containing fresh or creative ideas. Written in its original language, not translated. In its earliest, unpolished stage. The approved and untampered version of the text. The earliest available source for the information it provides. ❖ Original Documents: These can vary in meaning (e.g., freshness of ideas, the unpolished stage, or earliest source of information). Historians are chiefly interested in whether a source is based on firsthand or secondhand testimony, rather than whether it is an "original" document.  ❖ Document: The word document has been used by historians in several senses. It is sometimes used to mean a written source of historical information as contrasted with oral testimony or with artifacts, pictorial survivals, and archaeological remains. Documentation: signifies any process of proof based upon any kind of source whether written, oral, pictorial or archaeological The human document has been defined as “account of individual experience which reveals the individual’s actions as a human agent and as a participant in social life”. The personal document had been defined as “any self-revealing record that intentionally or unintentionally yields information regarding the structure, dynamics and functioning of the author’s mental life”. Module 2: External and Internal Criticism of Sources ❖ External Criticism - refers to the process of evaluating the authenticity of a historical document. Forged Documents - Historians must be wary of forged documents, which may serve false claims or political propaganda. Tests of Authenticity - This includes checking for anachronisms (elements out of place in time), such as style, spelling, and grammar. Anachronisms: Historians check for details that are out of place in time (e.g., style, spelling, grammar) to determine whether a document is genuine or fabricated. Material Evidence: The materials used in a document (such as ink or paper) are examined to see if they belong to the period the document claims to be from. Cross-Referencing: Historical documents are cross-checked with other independent sources to confirm their validity. Garbled Documents - These are altered documents, only partially inauthentic, often the result of copying errors or deliberate modifications. Historians compare multiple copies to restore the original text. Restoration of Texts - Restoring a text involves gathering as many copies as possible and comparing them for differences. Historians must decide whether additions or omissions have altered the original text.  ❖ Internal Criticism Historical Fact: Even seemingly simple and concrete statements can be questioned. Doubts about specific details often arise not from disagreements among witnesses, but rather from a lack of firsthand testimony to support those particulars. Interrogative Hypothesis: Historians must ask key questions about a document, such as the credibility of the primary witness or corroborating evidence. These questions can be relatively open-ended, such as, "Did Saul attempt to assassinate David?“ General Rules For the historian, much like a judge, any single detail of testimony is considered credible if it can pass four key tests: 1. Was the ultimate source of the detail (the primary witness) able to tell the truth? 2. Was the primary witness willing to tell the truth? 3. Is the primary witness accurately reported with regard to the detail under examination? 4. Is there any independent corroboration of the detail under examination? Any detail (regardless of what the source or who the author) that passes all four tests is credible historical evidence. Interrogative Hypothesis - All witnesses even if equally close to the event are not equally competent as witnesses. Competence depends upon degree of expertness, state of mental and physical health, age, education, memory, narrative skill, etc. The ability to estimate number is especially subject to suspicion. Hearsay and Secondary Evidence Hearsay evidence (information passed from one person to another) is generally dismissed unless it can be verified. Secondary evidence is only partially reliable and requires corroboration. In cases where the historian uses secondary witnesses, however, he does not rely upon them fully. On the contrary, he asks: 1. On whose primary testimony does the secondary witness base his statements? 2. Did the secondary witness accurately report the primary testimony as a whole? 3. If not, in what details did he accurately report the primary testimony? Corroboration refers to the process of confirming or supporting a statement, theory, or piece of evidence with additional evidence or testimony. Although there is a strong presumption that it is trustworthy, the general rule of historians is to accept as historical only those particulars which rest upon the independent testimony of two or more reliable witnesses. Module 3: Analysis of Selected Primary Sources Philippine Historical Periods and Sources 1. Pre-colonial Period: Antonio Pigafetta’s "First Voyage Around the World" - Pigafetta’s diary recounts Magellan’s expedition to the Philippines, including the arrival in Homonhon, the first Mass in Mazaua, the conversion of the King and Queen of Cebu to Christianity, and the Battle of Mactan, where Magellan was killed by Lapu-Lapu. 2. Spanish Colonial Period: Juan de Plasencia’s "Customs of the Tagalogs" - Plasencia’s account describes the social hierarchy of early Tagalog communities (the datu, maharlica, aliping namamahay, aliping sa guiguilir). It also covers their religious practices, such as the worship of Bathala and other deities, as well as their belief in sorcerers and witches (e.g., mangagauay, mancocolam). 3. 1896 Philippine Revolution: Emilio Jacinto’s "Kartilya ng Katipunan" - The Kartilya ng Katipunan outlined the values that members of the Katipunan must follow, emphasizing loyalty, equality, the importance of honor, and  resistance against oppression. Jacinto’s work challenged the racial superiority claimed by the Spaniards and called for the unity of the Filipino people. 4. Restoration of Philippine Democracy (1986): President Corazon Aquino’s Speech before the U.S. Congress (September 18, 1986) - Aquino’s speech was a personal reflection on the struggles her family faced under the Marcos dictatorship and the Filipino people’s peaceful fight for democracy. She recounted the assassination of her husband, Benigno Aquino Jr., and the pivotal role of the 1986 People Power Revolution in ousting Marcos and restoring democracy.