Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Historical Thinking Unit Wrap Up


How do historians read historical documents?

 
Historians read documents as if they are evidence to crimes. They analyze every inch of detail in the documents to see if there are any fingerprints or smudges left behind. In this way, they are like forensic investigators. They read the documents to see if they can test or conteadict the theory or idea on what happened. Sometimes, they find extra "evidence" to add and sometimes they don't.( As if they were investigating "murders" )
stock photo : forensic analysis
 
How do historians write history?

 
Historians don’t write history, they present history. They take what they learned from several sources to find a “happy medium". With this they form a "credible" theory, like scientists, on the historical event being investigated. Historians are detectives and scientists combined into one. While others are changing history they are investigating how, why, when, where, and who. They are reporters trying to expose the truth. They are forensics, trying to find evidence to incriminate the history makers. Their job will never cease.

"forensic analysis" from:http://www.shutterstock.com/language.en/pic.mhtml?id=49961977&rid=945688 by:Alexandru-Radu Borzea. On PixaBay


 

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