Methods And Toolbox For Historical Studies - Essay Example

Methods And Toolbox For Historical Studies  Introduction       The subject of History constitutes in itself an argument. For the sake of argument, History tries to connect itself to various sources and tries to put forth evidences which support the argument made thereof. Hence, the subject matter of History cannot be merely taken as mere story or a set of fake facts. Whatever, has to be mentioned in the pages of history must be supported by due evidences. Historical evidences are obtained from both written and non-written sources. Written sources are derived from Primary and Secondary sources, which mainly constitute documents. On the other hand non-written sources contain of articles like maps, artifacts, genetic and statistical data. (Williams, 56) The social significance of a historical enquiry rests on configuring the future based on past ideas and events. Further, Historians are found to make continuous revision on describing the past events in the light of contemporary ideas. (Williams, 114) In the light of the above context, it is found that history is more popular and accepted when it is more relevant to the society and presented from a neutral point of view. Society and Historical Studies and ambiguities present       Historical Documentation             The historical documentation is a process, which takes into account primary and secondary sources. In regards to the treatment given to the Jews at the time of the Second World War both Primary and Secondary sources are mentioned. In case of Primary sources the Wannsee Protocol written by Adolf Eichmann in 1942 states that Jews were utilized for the purpose of labor in a quest for allocating the huge numbers. It further states that the protocol hinted at subjecting the Jews to heavy human labor like building of roads. It aimed at reduction in the numbers owing to natural effect of inhuman labor. Eichmann further states that the Jews who would succumb to the heavy workloads and inhuman treatment will be granted “suitable treatment”. To this end the secondary source a book written by Michael Shermer and Alex Grobman, Denying History argues on the second point presented by Eichmann. They argue stating that the Jews were deported to the East for subjecting them to inhuman labor. They further state that Eichmann’s statement of “suitable treatment” certainly signifies assassination of the Jews. They argue stating that Jews who would succumb to the inhuman labor and given “suitable treatment” justly signifies a chance of Jewish survival and revival. This being a paradoxical view the historians engaged in the secondary source hinted on “murder” of the Jews as the right solution. (Williams, 56-59). In this context, it is found that the primary and secondary source derives its base from the Wannsee Protocol. However, the secondary source is a commentary on the primary source and thereby cannot be regarded as neutral to its presentation. It serves an act of speculation on the facts stated in the primary resource.       Study of Maps to understand the Primitive Society             Maps provide as essential historical tools used for making research. The use of primitive maps gives direct evidence on the vision of the world in the olden period. Hence, they are regarded as the primary sources. However, recent maps constitute the contemporary vision on the bygone period of a current historian. In regards to an example of primitive maps, the sixteenth-century American map presented by the German mathematician Sebastian Munster is studied. Though the map presented by Munster suffers from serious flaws like a northwest pathway to the Indian subcontinent and existence of an inland sea separating North America from North Carolina yet as one of the oldest maps, it serves the purpose. Munster’s maps earn recognition for in spite of being the oldest maps of America it rightly shows the position of Cuba and Florida. Further, Munster is regarded to be the first person to have mentioned the names of Pacific Ocean and Japan though in a distorted fashion. Munster also showed the kink between North and South America. The study of historical maps like that of Munster gives an insight into the depths of understanding of earlier people on the continental dimensions of our planet. (Williams, 61-63). The contemporary historians through the study of ancient maps can judge the understanding of the world through the eyes of the primitive persons.       Artifacts as guide to Primitive Society             Artifacts as objects created by the primitive society are instruments helping in archeological and anthropological research. Excavations conducted around the city of Moscow revealed artifacts like shoes, jewelry, ash and other residues of earlier Moscow. The artifacts received from such excavations present an earlier view of the Russian capital. Hence, these are regarded as the primary sources of data on ancient Moscow. Huge quantities of silver obtained from beneath suggest that it had been kept secret at that place owing to the Mongol invasion, which happened in 1238. The shoes excavated reveal that the sprawling heights of men and women in primitive Russia. Ashes and other residue signify the occurrence of a fire in 1493, which rather burnt the entire city of Moscow. The excavation also throws light on the primitive architectural structures of Moscow. (Williams, 64) Excavations are well-defined primary sources, which lend us information about traditional social practices and way of living. It helps historians to sketch an understanding of primitive societies thus moving from ambiguities.       Images as representations of the Past             Images as primary sources in understanding the primitive world are found to cause deception in the area of a clear understanding of the past society. It is because the person portraying the image conducts the art with one’s own perception, which may or may not match with the viewer’s perception. Hence, to use an image in rightly understanding the past society one needs to first understand the background behind the creation of the image in context. In the light of the above context, Alexander Gardner’s photograph taken after the completion of the battle of Gettysburg is studied. The battle of Gettysburg, which continued for a span of three days from July 1 to July 3 1863, led to the killing of a thousand men and stopped the war. Gardner’s photograph reveals a slain soldier lying in the hiding place commonly known as the ‘Devil’s Den’. Gardner while commenting on his photograph said that the soldier died because of an explosion of a shell. To this end contemporary Historians based on some other pictures argue that the soldier firstly was a normal infantry person and not a sharpshooter as referred to by Gardner. Moreover, the image is deceptive for the soldier in other pictures as argued by the Historians died elsewhere whose body was thereby laid in the ‘Devil’s Den’. Historian, William Frassanito even states that Gardner’s assistant may have staged the soldier by carrying him from far to the ‘Devil’s Den’ for the purpose of the shoot. Yet again some other historians present the fact through the eyes of an eyewitness stating that the soldier rightly died in the ‘Devil’s Den’ and proves the image correct. (Williams, 66-69). This clearly reveals the amount of deception that an image can present if not studied with a neutral motive. It simply distorts the magnitude of the occurrence of the event-in here, the death of a soldier due to the explosion of a shell and not self-created. The debate states that Gardner and his associates used manipulative tactics to distort historical findings. However, later such statements were pulled off by counter debates.       Statistics in History             Cliometrics or the use of numbers in providing historical data makes it all the more scientific. It is found that historians mainly concerned with Politics or Economical data provide numerical data to prove their point. Peter Kolchin in his book American Slavery used numerical data to signify the number of blacks in each of the different American colonies before the emergence of American Revolution. (Williams, 70) Historical Reviews and Controversies       Book Reviews             Book Reviews aims in presenting a critical analysis of one’s work and helps in the further development of such for the cause of study. Historians are often found to study and comment on articles and journals written by other fellow historians and aims at enhancing the quality of literary dialect used. To this end, the book review conducted on Michael A. Bellesiles’ book, which portrays an effectively armed American patriotic militia to fight the British army, is studied. The fact that the American militia is properly trained and optimally armed was proved false in the light of the evidences sought. The book earned severe criticism from several historians in the light that American militias were neither effectively trained nor optimally armed. Moreover, they cited that Americans until the beginning of the Civil War had limited personal ownership of guns. (Williams, 110-111) This shows that Bellesiles book was not free from ambiguity and shared personal representation of facts rather than relying on true evidences. It was rather a controversial treatise presented by Bellesiles and lacked neutrality of approach. The above arguments presented are based on proving the point that narration of historical events should be made in a neutral context and must be unambiguous in approach. It is only then that the historical treatise thus presented earns true social recognition. The following discussion reflects on historical study of social issues, which leads to a mass appeal. History of Oppressions       The history of Blacks in America owes its emergence to the long-term oppression to which their fellow, the White Americans, had subjected the Blacks. To this end Malcolm, the historian for the Blacks mentioned that the White Americans had severed the past from their fellow Blacks subjecting them to oppression. In another case, the study of British Labor History also suggests that its emergence was called for creating social awareness among the workers for the cause of their rights. A study made on the aims and purposes of the British Labor History observe, “The purpose of much British Labor History has been to sharpen the social awareness of workers, to confirm their commitment to political action and to reassure them that history is on their side”. (Tosh, 5) Moreover, the women movement against oppression on the feminine class also needs a historical perspective to become strong enough. Studies suggest that Patriarchal designs of primitive society led to the emergence of oppression over the women class. This discussion reflects that the History of Oppressions earns due recognition for it focused on the strategic initiatives needed to be taken to fight out the oppression to gain equality. Hence, here History rightly appeals for a social cause and is not a mere piece of storytelling treatise. The art of Historicism is rightly emphasized in the light of the social issues like oppression, which draws Historical views to strategize its present conduct to fight such issues.  Conclusion       The above discussion rightly held that a work of History to earn mass social acceptance must not only be free from ambiguity but must focus on social issues. Ambiguous and false representation of facts makes the work lose its true appeal. Moreover, the historian should free his work from personal bias and opinions. Rather, it should be based on evidences. A true observation of facts needs to be studied before inferring on the same, which creates controversy in a later stage. On the other hand, Historical works must be created based on social issues and must not only be a literary treatise. Aiming at Social causes with an eye over the past helps design strategic models to combat against social crimes. The paper focuses on the tools for conducting Historical Research based on Primary and Secondary tools and also throws light on key social issues of women and labor oppression in Historical perspective. Works Cited Tosh, John, The Pursuit of History. Pearson Longman, 2006 Wiliams, Robert C. The Historian's Toolbox: a student’s guide to the theory and craft of history. M.E. Sharpe, 2007. Read More