Tuesday, August 14, 2012

How do Historians work?!?!?

After reading the various books and listening to several historians during our workshop, I have a different perspectives on historians.  Until taking this class I thought historians memorized every date, general, and outcome of important historic events.  Now, I almost feel like the terms historian and lawyer are interchangeable.  They both try to state their case by finding facts that support their theories.  It is amazing how two different historians can present the very same event in such totally different lights. 

This assignment required me to read a chapter in Wood, The American Revolution picture book, and refer to the handbook.  Wood and the picture book presented their facts in such different ways.  The handbook then simply presented you with the facts in an unbias manner.  It is almost as you can interpret the data in the handbook how ever you see fit. 

It is pretty interesting to me how historians work.  I have a new found respect for the profession, and I find it pretty intriguing how they go about gathering the information they are searching for!

1 comment:

  1. Well put! I agree with you 100%. It's neat to see it from your point of view in that you compare historians and lawyers. I would have never thought of those two professions being similar. It is so true though! Historians do just present facts based on the same event, just in different ways! Good thoughts Sara! ;)

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