READING IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY (SS 22)

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY

LESSON 1- LEARNING HISTORY

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to:
 Demonstrate an understanding of history.
 Explain the significance of history.
 Exhibit the skills on how to study history.

To make sense of history, you must first comprehend what it is all about. Many people
believe that history is just a collection of names, dates, locations, and “significant” events.
History, or the study of history, is about more than merely memorizing facts.

It is the historian's responsibility to glean insights from the ideas and facts that have
impacted men's and women's lives as well as society. A historian (or, in reality, a
student of history) can appreciate how events occurred, identify their elements, and
consider how these events might assist in addressing today's problems and planning for
the future by grasping these concepts.

What is HISTORY?

History is the study of the beliefs desires, practices, and

institutions of human beings.

With this definition, history takes on a more active role in the study of Philippine
culture. It also involves an examination of the evolution of Philippine culture over time,
particularly with regard to the colonial influences that shaped the current Philippine
identity.

Why Study History?

An investigation of the past can reveal a lot about how we became who we are now. It
entails investigating the origins of modern institutions, ideas, attitudes, and issues. Looking
back allows us to appreciate the diversity of human perspectives, beliefs, and civilizations by
teaching us to see the world through diverse eyes. Different and/or new viewpoints will
enable us to critically examine current societal and human circumstances.

The Meaning of “History”

Excerpts from Understanding History: A Primer of Historical Method by Loius
Gottschalk (1950, New York: Knopf, p. 17).

“The English word HISTORY is derived from the Greek noun istoia, meaning
learning. As used by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, history meant a systematic
account of a set of natural phenomena, whether or not chronological factoring was a
factor in the account. In the course of time, however, the equivalent Latin word scientia
(English, science) came to be used more regularly to designate non-chronological
systematic accounts of natural phenomena; and the word history was reserved usually for
accounts of phenomena (especially human affairs) in chronological order.”

By its most common definition, the word history now means, "the past of mankind”.

Why Study History?

 An investigation of the past can reveal a lot about how we became who we are
now. It entails investigating the origins of modern institutions, ideas, attitudes, and
issues. Looking back allows us to appreciate the diversity of human perspectives,
beliefs, and civilizations by teaching us to perceive the world from a different viewpoint.
Different and/or new viewpoints will enable us to critically examine current societal and
human circumstances.

According to Peter N. Stearns (1998),

"People live in the present. They plan for and worry about the
future. History, however, is the study of the past. Given all the demands that
press in from living in the present and anticipating what is yet to come, why
bother with what has been? Given all the desirable and available branches of
knowledge, why insist as most American educational programs do on a good
bit of history? And why urge many students to study even more history than
they are required to?”

Any topic of study requires justification: proponents must explain why it is worth
studying. Most commonly recognized subjects, including history, draw some people
who are merely interested in the knowledge and patterns of thought involved.
Audiences that are less naturally drawn to the subject and are unsure why they should
bother need to know what the aim is.

Historians don't do heart transplants, make road improvements, or make arrests.

In a culture that rightfully wants education to serve positive purposes, the functions of
history can look more difficult to identify than those of engineering or medicine.

In the past, history has been justified for reasons that we no longer accept. One of
the reasons that history has a place in modern education is that earlier leaders believed
that knowing certain historical facts helped distinguish the educated from the
uneducated; for example, someone who could recite the date of the Norman conquest
of England (1066) or the name of the person who proposed the theory of evolution
around the same time as Darwin (William Wallace) was thought to be educated. From
China to the United States, many civilizations have used historical facts as a screening
tool, and the practice is being used to some extent today. Unfortunately, this method
may lead to mindless memorization, which is a necessary but unpleasant aspect of the
discipline. History should be studied both for its artistic worth and because it is essential
to people and society. There are a variety of approaches to explaining the subject's
actual functions, just as there are a variety of historical talents and paths to historical
significance. On the other hand, all conceptions of history's use are founded on two
fundamental realities (Stearns, P., 2001).

Relevance and Importance of History

1. History Helps Us Understand People and Societies.

First and foremost, history gives a wealth of information on how people
and societies behave. Understanding how people and societies operate is
difficult, yet many professions strive to do so. If we just used current data,
our efforts would be impeded needlessly.
2. History Helps Us Understand Change and How the Society We Live in
Came to Be.
History is the sole comprehensive source of information about the human
condition. It also draws attention to the complexities of social change, as
well as the forces that are now generating change.

3. The Importance of History in Our Own Lives

 a. History Contributes to Moral Understanding.
History is the sole comprehensive source of information about the
human condition. It also draws attention to the complexities of
social change, as well as the forces that are now generating
change.
b. History Provides Identity
First and foremost, history provides a wealth of knowledge about
human behavior and society. Although it is challenging to
comprehend how individuals and society
function, many professions try to do so. Our efforts would be
hampered unnecessarily if we just employed current data.
c. Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship
This is the most prevalent reason for history's inclusion in
educational curricula. Citizenship historians may seek to simply
foster national identification and allegiance through a history
peppered with compelling events and lessons in personal
achievement and morality. However, the value of history for
citizenship extends beyond this restricted objective, and can even
contradict it at times.

What Skills Does a Student of History Develop?

What does a well-trained history student, who has been taught to engage with
historical sources and case studies o f social change, learn to do? The list is
manageable, although there are numerous categories that
1. The Ability to Assess Evidence. The study of history gives students
practice dealing with and evaluating many types of evidence, which
historians employ to create the most accurate portraits of the past
possible. Learning how to analyze former political leaders'
comments‚ one type of evidence‚ assists in developing the ability to
discern between objective and self-serving statements made by current
political leaders. Learning how to mix many types of evidence
declarations, private records, numerical data, and visual
materials‚ improves one's capacity to construct coherent arguments
based on a wide range of facts. This ability may also be used to analyze
information in everyday life.

2. The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations. Many other

interpretations exist, many of which are contradictory. Understanding how
societies work, which is the central goal of historical study, is inherently
imprecise, and the same may be said of contemporary events. History, as
an often contested laboratory of human experience, teaches
students how to recognize and evaluate competing viewpoints, which
is a vital civic ability.

3. Experience in Assessing Past Examples of Change.

Understanding change in today’s culture necessitates prior experience in
analyzing historical examples of change, which is crucial talent in our “ever-
changing world.” As were taught. Because some changes are more fundamental
than others, change analysis necessitates the development of some ability to
assess the size and significance of change. History students can improve this
skill by comparing particular changes to important historical events. Our ability to
detect the frequently told defines our “ever-changing environment.”
 Because some changes are more fundamental than others, change analysis
includes developing the capacity to judge the degree and relevance of change. History
students can improve this skill by comparing particular changes to important historical
events. Studying history gives you the ability to see the continuities that usually follow
even the most spectacular changes, as well as the ability to discern likely reasons for
change. Learning about history may help you evaluate whether a shift is the result of a
single major factor‚ such as a technological breakthrough or a well-inattention new
policy‚ or a mix of factors, as is more typically the case.

Finally, historical study is necessary for the growth of the elusive species known as
the well-informed citizen. It provides basic factual information on the history of our political
institutions, as well as the values and issues that affect our social well-being. It also
enhances our capacity to assess interpretations, analyze evidence, and assess change and
continuity. Because we lack the requisite perspective, we will never be able to deal with the
present in the same manner that historians deal with the past; but, we may make progress in
this direction by adopting historical habits of thinking, and as a result, we will become better
citizens.

What is the point of studying history?

The explanation is that we almost have to in order to obtain entry to the human
experience's laboratory. When we study it thoroughly and gain some beneficial habits of
thought, as well as some basic data about the things that affect our own lives, we
emerge with valuable talents and an increased capacity for informed citizenship, critical
thinking, and plain awareness. History may be used in a variety of ways. History can
assist us in developing some "marketable" skills, but it should not be limited to the most
basic utilitarianism. Some history ‚that is, personal recollections of changes and
continuities in the local environment‚ is necessary to operate beyond childhood.
Personal preferences, such as where one finds beauty, joy in discovery, or intellectual
challenge, can affect historical events. There is history, which provides a genuine grasp
of how the world works via cumulative expertise in interpreting the growing human
record, somewhere between the inescapable minimum and the delight of great
commitment.

How to Study History?

History is one of those "obligatory" topics that many students find tedious and
uninteresting. Learning history, on the other hand, can be enjoyable and fascinating if
you approach it with the correct mentality. A Spanish philosopher, George Santayana,
once stated that people who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. To put it
another way, if you don't learn from your errors, you're more likely to repeat them.
There are, however, several additional reasons to study history. Studying history not
only helps you understand the past but also helps you build transferable abilities that
will prepare you for a number of future job options
(https://www.educationcorner.com/history-study-skills-guide.html).

So now that you're excited to learn history, let's look at some tactics and ideas
that can help you study more effectively.

Develop Ideas and Make Connections. It may seem self-evident, but we'll bring it
out anyway: history is built on a timeline of events. The study of history is dependent on
the sequence in which events occur. As a result, it's critical that you keep your notes in
chronological order. Divide your notes into four categories: (1) topic, (2) years, (3)
decades, and (4) centuries.
 Retain Important Information. Even while we suggest studying and remembering
essential material in the context of the larger picture, rote memorization methods and
strategies are sometimes necessary to remember significant dates, names, and events
likely to appear on your history test. Flashcards are a great way to memorize
information, improve memory, and evaluate your retention in certain situations. To
make a flash card, write an important event, date, or fact on one side of a 3 x 5 card.
Write the definition, description, or explanation on the other side. The use of flashcards
for memorization has been around for a long time. However, it is still as effective now
as it was a century ago.

Watch Movies. Yes, exactly! Learning and studying history may be accomplished
through watching movies. There are many films and documentaries available that
represent historical events properly. Most historical films and documentaries are
entertaining as well as informative.
Regrettably, some historical films do not accurately represent actual events. The film
"Schindler's List," which depicts Germany's occupation of Poland during World War II, is
historically true. Unfortunately, as touching and enjoyable as the film "Brave Heart" is, it is not
historically true. If you're serious about understanding history, choose a film that is historically
accurate.

Read History Book. The vast bulk of history may be found in written form. As a
result, it's not unexpected that learning history necessitates a significant quantity of
reading. However, just because you read more doesn't guarantee you'll learn more.
The goal is to extract as much facts and knowledge as possible from your history text
as quickly as possible. Words make up history textbooks, but not all of them are
equally essential. You can extract up to 75% of a textbook's information while just
reading 25% of the text by identifying the hierarchy of terms.

History students must look at not just the past, but also those who write about it.
Before you start studying the facts, you need first study the historian.

1. Finding the Facts

 The historian looks at facts and chooses the ones that are significant.
2. Identifying Bias
 Bias is a way of looking at things from a different perspective. It
might happen on purpose or by accident. Bias exists in every
writing. Look at the words used to figure it out. What exactly is the
meaning of the words? Biases exist in every era. This makes it
harder but not impossible to comprehend prior thinking.
3. Dispensing With the Rubbish
 Identifying Important and Answerable Questions Sources must be
carefully chosen. Topics should be kept to a minimum. It is necessary
to consult both primary and secondary materials. Conclusions must be
founded on the evidence's weight. Variations in interpretations must be
acknowledged and understood (opentextbc.ca).
LESSON 2: HISTORICAL METHODS

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Determine the differences between a primary source and a secondary source.
2. Enumerate materials that can be considered primary sources.
3. Evaluate materials in terms of authenticity, credibility, and provenance.

Historians use the historical method to investigate and write history by employing primary
sources and other data. The nature and possibility of sound historical techniques are
addressed as an epistemological issue in the philosophy of history. The rules typically
employed by historians in their work are outlined under the areas of external critique,
internal criticism, and synthesis.

Historians must rely on a variety of sources that are not found in books, such as
archaeological, epigraphical, or numismatical resources. To ensure meaningful sources,
they delimit people, place, time, and function with greater precision.

Historians use historical sources to study and document history. They employ various
techniques and theories to research history correctly and draw from the sources to write
history, improving and spreading national identity.

In history, a source is an object from the past or testimony about the past on which
historians rely to build their own picture of the past. It's a physical reminder of the past
(Groeneveld, 2017).

Primary Sources
Primary sources are documents created by individuals or groups who were directly
involved in the event or issue under investigation. These individuals are either participants in
the incident or eyewitnesses to it. Eyewitness reports, diaries, letters, legal papers, official
documents (government or private), and even pictures are among the sources.

Examples of Primary Sources

1. Photographs that may represent historical and contemporary social

circumstances.
2. Old sketches and drawings that may depict the living circumstances of bygone
cultures.
3. Old maps that show how space and geography were employed to
emphasize trade routes, structural development, and other things.
4. Cartoons for political or propagandist purposes.
5. Prehistoric material evidence such as cave paintings, archaic syllabaries, and
ancient texts.
6. Tables, graphs, and charts with statistical data.
7. Oral history or electronic recordings of eyewitness or participant
stories, which were subsequently transcribed and utilized for study.
Secondary Sources
Secondary sources, according to Gottschalk, are "testimony of anybody who is not an
eyewitness—that is, of someone who was not there at the incident of which he relates." This
category includes books, essays, and scholarly publications that have interpreted primary
sources or utilized them to address certain historical topics.

Secondary sources were developed by people who were not present at or involved in
the events or situations you're studying. Bibliographies, nonfiction works like biographies,
periodicals, newspapers, magazines, journals, history books, critical and interpretative works,
commentaries and treaties, textbooks, video documentaries, and multimedia reports are all
examples of secondary sources.

Types of Primary Sources

1. Published Documents. Some primary sources are documents that have

been published. They were made for a big audience and widely
disseminated. Books, periodicals, newspapers, government documents,
non-government reports, and other types of literature, as well as ads,
maps, pamphlets, posters, legislation, and court rulings, are all examples
of published documents (Pappas, 2012).
2. Unpublished Documents. Unpublished records of all kinds have been
preserved and can be used as primary sources. They include personal
letters, diaries, journals, wills, deeds, family Bibles with family histories,
school report cards, and a range of other materials. Unpublished
corporate papers that give insight into the past include correspondence,
financial ledgers, client information, board meeting minutes, and research
and development files (Pappas, 2012).
3. Oral Traditions/Oral Histories. Oral histories and oral traditions are
another approach to learn about the past from those who lived through
historical events directly. Oral histories, which consist of spoken words,
have recently acquired prominence as primary sources. Historians and
others learn about regular people's lives through listening to oral stories
and narratives. Oral histories give valuable historical facts about people,
particularly minority groups, who were either omitted from mainstream
media or did not leave written primary materials behind (Pappas, 2012).
4. Visual Documents and Artifacts. Photographs, videos, paintings, and
other kinds of artwork are examples of visual documentation. Visual
documents can give proof of changes throughout time since they capture
moments in time. Visual records chronicle a culture's conventions, tastes,
styles, special events, work, and leisure at certain times in history
(Pappas, 2012).

External and Internal Criticism

Many diaries, memoirs, reposts, and testimonials are produced to elevate

the writer's status, stature, or relevance, thus researchers cannot take historical
facts at face value. As a result of this potential, historical data must be checked
for validity and accuracy. Such an assessment is carried out through criticism,
questioning, and research in order to establish data accuracy, bias, omissions,
and consistency (Historical Research Methods, n. d.).
 Criticism hasn't always had a positive image. Higher Criticism of the
Scriptures was gaining popularity at the same time as historical criticism, and the
latter's murky reputation in circles where the Bible was still venerated as the
Inspired Word threw a shadow over the former's usefulness as a constructive
science or study into the truth.

The following diagram illustrates the distinction between internal and

external criticism in the examination of historical source material.

External criticism is the element of the historical method that assesses

whether or not a source is genuine. The goal is to identify created, forged, or
falsified papers and to tell the difference between a hoax and a
misrepresentation.
- In a historical investigation, it refers to the authenticity of the
documents used by the researcher.
also known as lower critique It examines whether the evidence under evaluation
is genuine. The researcher verifies the source's authenticity or validity. Is it what it
seems to be or what it promises to be? Is it admissible in court?

Internal Criticism is the portion of the historical method that evaluates if the
facts in the text are historically accurate. The document does not have to be proven
authentic; even forgeries or documents with abridged facts may include available
information. This is the issue of trustworthiness. Relevant details in the paper, as near
as possible to what actually occurred based on a rigorous analysis of the best
available sources.

 The meaning and trustworthiness of the document's contents -The

value and worth of the document's contents, its literal meaning,
and the dependability of its claims itself -

 It's also known as higher criticism. -The value and worth of the
document's contents, its literal meaning, and the credibility of its
assertions themselves -The value and worth of the document's
contents, its literal meaning, and the reliability of its statements
themselves - Can be carried out in either a positive or negative
manner, with the one being an approach to uncovering the real
meaning of the text and the second being an approach to finding
grounds to doubt what the text says.

 Credibility is an issue. Is the paper reliable in terms of relevant details?

Verisimilar-as close to the truth as possible based on a rigorous
analysis of the best of the best accessible

Reading in the Philippine History

ALFRED M AGUINDANG
Course Facilitator