History Readings: What they are

Question 1

Charlotte Lydia Riley, “Why History should always be rewritten”

Answer 1

1. We use history to better understand the past.
2. We have to keep rewriting history, so that bad histories do not stand as facts.
3. Every historian has bias.

Question 2

David Thelen, “History after the Enola Gay Controversy”

Answer 2

1. veterans were offended by the World War II bomb exhibition, but Historians wanted to tell an unfiltered version of the atomic bomb.
2. Conversation about the past should include the voice of first-hand experience and the voice of criticism.
3. No one can agree what happened in the past because everyone interprets the past differently.

Question 3

The Analects of Confucius

Answer 3

1. Men who respect their parents and elders are least likely to start a revolution.
2. If a son can carry out his father’s duties after passing, he is a good son.
3. No man is special or has a special purpose. They all serve the same moral qualifications.

Question 4

“Two Edicts Concerning Hair”

Answer 4

1. Han men had to adopt the queue hairstyle.
2. The queue is a hairstyle where the front of the head is shaved while leaving a long braid in the back.
3. If Han men did not follow the hairstyle, then they would be killed.

Question 5

“Kangxi’s Valedictory Edict”

Answer 5

1. Near the end of Kangxi’s rule, it offers insight into governance, his reflections on his reign, and advice for his successors.
2. Kangxi sought to be a wise and virtuous ruler, promoting Confucian principles as the foundation of his governance.
3. He offers advice to his successor, urging him to continue policies that promote stability and unity.

Question 6

Wu Jingzi, “Fan Jin Passes the Juren Examination”

Answer 6

1. This was made by a man who failed the exam and is mocking the exam system
2. Fan Jin is an old man who is seen as a failure by his family. He only passes the first exam because the proctor pitied him
3. When he passes the provincial-level examination, he went crazy, which represents how society cares too much about social status and not the actual morals of a person.

Question 7

Qian Yong, “Going out for a Gathering”

Answer 7

1. This document describes how to behave during a social gathering during the Qing Dynasty
2. Attendees will share their knowledge almost like the gathering is a competition. This shows the importance of knowledge during the Qing Dynasty.
3. Those with higher status are given more attention, while people with lower status are in the background. This shows how your status was very important during the Qing Dynasty.