History and What-Really-Happened What is History? Remembered, Recovered, & Invented

What is History? Based on a USU 1320 lecture by Dr. Mark Damen

Ancient World History What is History? According to most people, history is “what really happened in the past”. But where do we get this information? Figuring out what happened in the past is complex and difficult, but helps us learn about people from different times. It also helps us learn about ourselves.

How do we know what happened in the past? What are some ways we can learn about things that happened in different times? ?

Learning about history is like being a detective. A detective gathers witness statements, collects evidence from the scene, and gathers background information to find out what is true and false.

History does the same thing if you think about it. Historians gather information from people who lived at the time they are studying. Archeologists learn about the past by digging it up and figuring out what they find means. Historians also have to decide if people were being truthful, or stretching the truth to benefit themselves.

There are three basics types of history. Remembered history is history that was passed down either orally (in spoken words) or recorded in writing. Recovered history is history that was lost and found again, often through archaeology. Invented history is history that was made up by someone. All three of these give us valuable information.

Remembered history in detail. Remembered history is history that was passed down either orally (in spoken words) or recorded in writing. It is like witness statements to a detective.

Can you see some problems with Remembered history? Do you watch any crime shows on television like Law & Order, CSI, or Bones? What have you learned about witnesses? Hint: Can you always believe them? People like to tell stories that benefit themselves, or make themselves look good.

Testimony of Witnesses Ancient World History Testimony of Witnesses Our understanding of history is often based on the testimony of witnesses. Different people see things in different ways, so it’s not always possible to determine what happened in the past

Remembered History Historians want to know all they can about what people remember, but they must always be careful of bias in their sources of information. Bias is telling a story in a way that benefits your own point of view. Other words that describes bias are predisposition, preconception, or even prejudice.

Testimony of Witnesses People’s memories are filled with biases: self-righteousness, pride, vanity, spinning tales, confusion and outright lies.

Sources of Remembered History A primary source is an original document that has to do with an event or subject of inquiry in history. It is a firsthand or eyewitness account of an event. Examples Diary Pictures Maps And so on…

Sources of Remembered History A secondary source is any document that describes an event, person, place, or thing that was not created at the same time that it describes. Examples Biography (What about an autobiography?) History textbook Documentary on the History Channel And so on…

Sources of Remembered History Oral history is historical information, usually tape-recorded or video taped, that is obtained in interviews with persons who have firsthand knowledge of a different time or an important event. Examples Grandma telling about when she was young. An interview with a World War II veteran.

Recovered History in detail. Recovered history is history that was lost and found again, often through archaeology. This is like evidence from a crime scene. This video clip shows archaeology students at a dig in Salem, Massachusetts.

Sources of Recovered History Archaeology is the scientific study of historic or prehistoric peoples and their cultures by studying their artifacts, inscriptions, monuments, and other such remains, esp. those that have been excavated from the earth. Example Pompeii Jamestown And so on…

Sources of Recovered History Another important source for recovered history is librarians who find lost papers in their collections. Examples Dead Sea Scrolls Greek and Latin writings And so on…

Sources of Recovered History We also can recover history when languages that we did not understand are finally translated. Examples Maya Cuneiform Egyptian An so on…

Can you see some problems with Recovered history? What have you learned about evidence from crime shows? Hint: Is it easy to interpret what evidence means? (CSI clip) People often have different opinions about what recovered history tells us. This is another form of bias.

Invented History in detail. Invented history is history that was made up by someone, but that often uses real events as their basis. For a detective, these would like be stories made up by a suspect. Although we know that these stories are not true, they can tell us about the person who is telling the story, their culture, their beliefs, and what they think is important for us to believe.

Sources of Invented History Many myths and legends are invented history. Examples George Washington and the Cherry Tree Atlantis And so on…

Sources of Invented History Other sources are books and movies that use real events from history to tell a story. Examples The Last Days of Pompeii National Treasure And so on…

What are some problems with invented history? What have you learned about lies from crime shows? Hint: Do detectives always know that a suspect is lying to them? People often don’t find out that the story was not true until later, and it is difficult to change people’s mind once the lie is exposed. This is another form of bias.

Remembered, Recovered, and Invented By looking at each of these types of history, we can gain insights into what happened in the past. Just like a detective uses all these types of evidence to find the guilty person in a crime. Yet even with all of this evidence, historians do not have a 100% accurate knowledge of what happened in the past.

Time machine anyone? I often wish I had a time machine so I could go and see what actually happened at some point in history. Then I could tell people about it or show them a video of what I saw. Would this be unbiased history? Why or why not?

Is it impossible to find out what-really-happened-in-the past? Probably! However, we can get closer to the truth by: Looking at multiple sources Discussing what we think is accurate Allowing debate Being flexible to changes

So what is the point of studying history? Misunderstanding history has caused some of the darkest days in our history, like World War II and Sept. 11. Others have reshaped the world through their understanding of history, like the Founders of the United States or Gandhi.

Why Study History? It tells us: How we got to the present time. Our values as a society. Founding Fathers Studying the past is the only way to steer a course into the future. We don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past. (the Holocaust, Japanese Internment Camps) We want to continue the successes of the past. (Democracy, Art, Medicine, etc.)

History matters!! “Whether anyone likes it or not – or admits it or not – everyone cares about history because it’s from our understanding of what-really-happened back then that we guide and shape our lives.” We all have beliefs about who we are and where we come from that help us to find a place in our homes, communities, and world.

History should not be placed on a dusty shelf like a book. We all can contribute to the history and shape our own understanding of it. Be willing to be a detective of history and find a new clue that could reshape our thinking about the world we know. So let’s start with Utah…