Introduction to history Flashcards
What are primary sources?
An artifact created at the time of the event or an account created by someone who witnessed the event.
Examples include quotes, recordings, paintings, tools, and oral histories.
What are the steps to analyze primary sources?
- Source the source
- Examine the source in detail
- Consider the historical context
- Make inferences
- Corroborate
What are secondary sources?
An account about an event or time period created by someone who did not experience it first-hand, gathered from primary sources.
They tell a story about events that happened a long time ago.
What are the steps to analyze secondary sources?
- Source the secondary source
- Check the reliability of the source
- Examine the source in detail
- Corroborate the information against other sources
What questions do we ask to understand continuity and change?
- What has changed?
- What has not changed?
- How quickly or slowly did the changes happen?
- Do the changes indicate progress for some groups or declines for others?
- What can we learn from comparing two different time periods?
What are causes in historical analysis?
The things that make events happen, which can be positive or negative, short or long-term.
What factors determine the importance of a cause?
- Clear connection with the event
- Likelihood of the event occurring without the cause
- Degree of influence
What are consequences in historical analysis?
The things that happen because of events, which can be positive or negative, short or long-term, and intended or unintended.
What factors determine the importance of a consequence?
- Depth of impact
- Breadth of impact
- Duration of impact
What questions should we consider when thinking about causes and consequences?
- Who influenced the event?
- What social, political, or economic conditions influenced it?
- What ideas and beliefs influenced it?
- What were the causes and consequences?
What are the scales of historical significance?
- Global
- National
- Regional
- Individual
- Not at all significant
What does historical perspective involve?
Considering what the event means from the perspective of the time period, avoiding presentism.
What steps are involved in identifying the historical perspective?
- Identify values, beliefs, and practices of the time
- Determine differences from today’s beliefs and values
- Consider if decisions were understandable at the time
- Reflect on how personal beliefs affect interpretation
- Make inferences about thoughts, feelings, and motivations
What is ethical judgment in historical analysis?
Assessing whether actions or decisions were fair or unjust, considering their effects on people.
What responsibilities do historical crimes impose on us today?
Understanding the ethical judgments we make about historical actions and the differences between past and present ethical standards.
What is the difference between explicit and implicit ethical judgments?
- Explicit: obvious statements about quality of life
- Implicit: implied changes and effects over time
