HistoryIntroduction to Philippine History

with Politics and Governance

Traditional Definition

• Records of the past• A record of the human past from the time

written records began to appear– Above definitions

• Weak• Interviews or oral history and oral traditions, and cultural

artifacts are not considered• This notion of “no written records, no history” has confined

history to the literate and articulate and has resulted in the production of historiographies from the upper-class male perspectives.

• Gottschalk (1946) – History is actuality; hence it must study the

past as it happened.

– This demands that the historian abandon the present.

– The practical value of studying and using the past to understand the present is lost. History is studied , written, and taught for its own sake.

Traditional Definition

Modern Definition

• History is the reconstruction of the past based on available written records, oral history, cultural artifacts, and folk traditions.

• It is the study of events and developments concerning people in the past

• It basically involves collection, analysis, and synthesis of limited available materials.

• The mere presentation of facts does not constitute history but a chronicle.

Modern Definition

• Historian should do two other important tasks;1. Interpret and recreate facts in an orderly and

intelligible manner;2. Discover patterns and trends, which govern the

behavior of the people and of nations, and to make generalizations out of these.

Modern Definition

Modern Definition

• Therefore, history is the interpretative and imaginative study of surviving records of the past, either written or unwritten, in order to determine the meaning and scope of human existence.

Modern Definition

Uses or Importance of History

A. Bridging the Gap Between the Past and Present The present is the result of the past The nature and extent of the contemporary problems in the

country can be best understood in the light of their historical roots

Uses or Importance of History

B. Explaining Causes of Things and EventsNo other best discipline

can provide explanations for causes of events and/or developments

Example: The “state-side mentality”

among Filipinos. What was in the past that brought about this mentality?

Uses or Importance of History

C. Projecting the FutureCircumstances in the past have

been observed to contribute to the unfolding of a significant event.

Taking stock of similarities or parallels between the past and the present also leads to consideration of likely possibilities or scenarios in the future

Uses or Importance of History

D. Interpreting Conditions of a Given Space and TimeHistory is the only branch of knowledge that can

provide information and corresponding interpretation of periods of history

Example:The coming of USA in the Philippines may be explained

by going back to the events long before 1898 and finding out what factors contributed to the rise of the US as an imperialist power

Uses or Importance of History

E. Promoting Nationalism and Patriotism History inspires and develops a sense of national

pride and sense of devotion to country by recording the exploits and struggles of forefathers to win freedom and independence

Sources of History

• Written or Inscribe Sources

Birth and death certificatesMarriage

certificatesDirectoriesChurch recordsLetters and diariesLocal newspapersCensus reportsTitle deedsSurveyor’s notesSchool recordsGovernment recordsBusiness RecordsPolice recordsBooks, journals, and magazinesSouvenir programsHospital recordsInscriptions, Ex.

Laguna Copperplate

Sources of History

• Graphic/Visual Materials and Artifacts

PhotographsHeirlooms and keepsakesArts and CraftsTools, weapons, and

utensilsOld structures and

landmarksBuried ArtificatsSkeletal remains with funerary furniture and

paraphernalia

Sources of History

• Folklore/Oral Literature

Sources of History

• Oral History– Letting people tell what they

know of certain events or letting them narrate their experiences through the use of a tape recorder

– Choice of reliable informants– Requires confirmation of data by

other informants

Sources of History

• Interviews– Use of an interview guide with specific questions– Choice of reliable informants

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