How to Succeed in HIST300

Read the syllabus and refer to it regularlyRead the syllabus and refer to it regularly Use a planner to stay organizedUse a planner to stay organized Check your daily and bookmark the course websiteCheck your daily and bookmark the course website Be respectful towards othersBe respectful towards others Come to class prepared and bring the readings!Come to class prepared and bring the readings! Take responsibility for your actions (and mistakes)Take responsibility for your actions (and mistakes)

What Is the Historian’s Craft? 26 August 2010 Dr. Kristen Epps © 2010

Part I: What does it mean to be a historian? Part II: How do historians think?

Marc Bloch,

The Historian’s Craft

1)What is history? 1)What makes the study of the past a profession?

1)What is history?

“What is the use of history, when the values of the past are being ruthlessly discarded? What is the use of history, when we repeat our old errors over and over again?” “What is the use of history, when the values of the past are being ruthlessly discarded? What is the use of history, when we repeat our old errors over and over again?” Marc Bloch

1)What is history? 1)What makes the study of the past a profession?

“Even if we are sure that history has its uses, are we able to write the kind of history that can be used?” “Even if we are sure that history has its uses, are we able to write the kind of history that can be used?” Marc Bloch Marc Bloch

What Is the Historian’s Craft? Asking provocative questionsAsking provocative questions Being objective about your conclusionsBeing objective about your conclusions Using primary sourcesUsing primary sources Understanding cause and effectUnderstanding cause and effect Studying the “why” not just the “who,” “what,” “where,” and “when”Studying the “why” not just the “who,” “what,” “where,” and “when” Producing written work to present your conclusionsProducing written work to present your conclusions Making it useableMaking it useable Passing it on to future generationsPassing it on to future generations

Part II: How do historians think?

Your Identity as a Historian Geographic areaGeographic area

The Atlantic World in 1713

Your Identity as a Historian Geographic areaGeographic area Time periodTime period

Your Identity as a Historian Geographic areaGeographic area Time periodTime period ApproachApproach

Historical Approaches Social historySocial history Political historyPolitical history Economic historyEconomic history Intellectual historyIntellectual history Religious historyReligious history Environmental historyEnvironmental history History of an ethnicity/race (e.g. Latino/Latina history)History of an ethnicity/race (e.g. Latino/Latina history) Women’s historyWomen’s history Legal historyLegal history Military historyMilitary history Labor historyLabor history

What is Social History? 1)“History with the politics left out” or “history from below”

What is Social History? 1)“History with the politics left out” or “history from below” 2) Deals with everyday people

What is Social History? 1)“History with the politics left out” or “history from below” 2) Deals with everyday people 3)The study of people’s behavior, belief systems, socio-economic structures, popular culture, etc….

What is Social History? 1)“History with the politics left out” or “history from below” 2) Deals with everyday people 3)The study of people’s behavior, belief systems, socio-economic structures, popular culture, etc…. 4) Embraces the interaction between history and its neighboring fields (anthropology, political science, sociology, etc.)

What is Political History? 1)Study of political events, movements, ideas, and structures

What is Political History? 1)Study of political events, movements, ideas, and structures 2)Generally deals with the traditional “nation-state”

What is Political History? 1)Study of political events, movements, ideas, and structures 2)Generally deals with the traditional “nation-state” 3) Biographies of political leaders and their influence

What is Intellectual History? 1)Studies those who generate, discuss, and theorize about “ideas”

What is Intellectual History? 1)Studies those who generate, discuss, and theorize about “ideas” 2)Closely tied to philosophy

What is Intellectual History? 1)Studies those who generate, discuss, and theorize about “ideas” 2)Closely tied to philosophy 3)Often tends to study the “great white men”

Two Main Techniques Qualitative—the interpretation and analysis of texts and images in order to understand the past

Two Main Techniques Qualitative—the interpretation and analysis of texts and images in order to understand the past Quantitative—the use of social science methodology (such as statistics) and other quantification to understand history

How would you categorize this work?

What is Historiography? 1)“The body of literature dealing with historical matters; histories collectively” (Definitions from dictionary.com)

What is Historiography? 1) “The body of literature dealing with historical matters; histories collectively” 2) “The body of techniques, theories, and principles of historical research and presentation; methods of historical scholarship” (Definitions from dictionary.com)

What is Historiography? 1) “The body of literature dealing with historical matters; histories collectively” 2) “The body of techniques, theories, and principles of historical research and presentation; methods of historical scholarship” 3) The history of historical study and the important debates occurring in the field (#1 and #2 definitions from dictionary.com)

A BRIEF Historiography of Slavery U. B. Phillips (1918)

A BRIEF Historiography of Slavery U. B. Phillips (1918)  Kenneth Stampp (1956)

A BRIEF Historiography of Slavery U. B. Phillips (1918)  Kenneth Stampp (1956)  Stanley Elkins (1959)

A BRIEF Historiography of Slavery U. B. Phillips (1918)  Kenneth Stampp (1956)  Stanley Elkins (1959)  Eugene Genovese (1974)

Conclusions Our goal is interpretation of the past in addition to descriptionOur goal is interpretation of the past in addition to description Historians realize that their unique perspective will affect the questions they ask, their method, and their conclusionsHistorians realize that their unique perspective will affect the questions they ask, their method, and their conclusions History is infinitely complex and often raises as many questions as answersHistory is infinitely complex and often raises as many questions as answers Historians try to approach their subject objectively because we have a responsibility to not glorify the pastHistorians try to approach their subject objectively because we have a responsibility to not glorify the past