Notes

Noah Webster, in his 1828 dictionary, defined history as "a narrative of events in the order in which they happened, with their causes and effects."

History is more than a series of events. It is a record of events. It is also an attempt to understand these events so that we can know what people did and why. It is more than just a list of facts that make history alive.

Think of this in terms of buying your first car. You want the best car for the best price, since you have a very limited budget. You begin by collecting information about a number of different cars, new and used. You research details of their prices, reliability as they get older, safety features such as crash rating, gas mileage, and the costs to insure them.

After you have gathered all that information, you classify it into specific categories. You then analyze the data you accumulated and come to a conclusion about what vehicle best fits your needs in the price range you can afford.

Historians will also use a system of methods to provide an accurate story of people and events from the past. They spend hours searching through the written material of past societies for clues about previous ways of life. They read, research, and write about the history of the human race and the interactions between people.

OBJECTIVES

Identify the sources historians use to gather information about past events.
List the skills necessary to write about the information you have collected.
Understand how your perspective can influence what you write and how you report events.
Understand how quantitative research data and qualitative research can be integrated.
VOCABULARY

historical method the series of steps historians use in their study of history
primary source a document that was produced during the same time period as the historical subject being studied
secondary source a document produced some time after the historical subject of study took place