Interpretation and Synthesis
Evidence, Argumentation, and the History Detective
History is not a passive discipline. Quite the contrary, the active process of “doing history”, whether it be professionals or students, requires a blend of context and prior knowledge, analytical thought, and critical thinking skills. My goal for my students, then, is that they are able to create historical arguments and support their conclusions with evidence placed in context based on sound historical reasoning. In order to assemble the rich mosaic of the past, or a small piece of it, into a legible interpretation in the present, historians have to synthesize and interpret primary and secondary sources to paint as complete a picture of the past as possible… secondary sources to provide a large view of the past in which to place primary documents, the historical evidence of the past. In a tandem dance, then, both primary and secondary sources provide the thread to weave our interpretations of the past through careful and critical analysis of these sources.
These interpretations that have come before us are, to quote Dr. Kyle Ward, “not written in stone”[1]. Both primary and secondary sources must be viewed with a critical eye. Often, new evidence surfaces that changes our view of the past. Circumstance and changing societal values can shift viewpoints and emphasis to pasts unexplored or ignored. In examining or reexamining history, balancing authoritative histories with original ones might be the wise course to pursue. Thomas Jefferson wrote to Samuel Kercheval in 1816 about his view on the laws and Constitution of this fledgling nation to say that he was not, “an advocate for frequent and untried changes...” What seems to be a quote about inflexibility continues to suggest more, “but [as the human mind] becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times.”[2] Jefferson wasn’t opposed to change outright but warned about the dangers of impulsive and reactionary change, suggesting a deliberate and careful approach. My study of history in the Graduate Certificate in History program has been congruent with this wisdom as I’ve navigated my study of the past and the histories it’s generated.
Each of my courses in the Graduate Certificate in History program has had me, in some way, explore and practice these facets of the discipline of the historian. While examining Suetonius’ Twelve Caesars, I was encouraged to view his history through the lens of Suetonius’ experience in ancient Rome. Our role-playing simulation required me to examine various histories on the Council of Nicaea to develop my character in a way that fit the context of that era. I was asked to view race and the various civil rights movements of the 20th century through original lenses like consumerism, peonage and mass incarceration, armed resistance, and segregation that challenged traditional narratives I was accustomed to. My Caribbean/Colonial America history course helped me to not only exercise critical analysis of sources, but also to examine regional connections that were scarcely studied before. Pirates of the Atlantic World had me analyze and critique multiple interpretations of the nature of pirate societies, some new... some old, for validity and limitations. In the construction of my portfolio, I’ve grown to appreciate the value and utility of historiography in the practice of the historian. In all courses, weekly activities like discussion boards, response papers, research and graduate projects have challenged me to “think like a historian.” In turn, I’ve tried to instill these in my students, using structures and frameworks familiar to my experience in this grad program. My lessons have changed in the last few years to more deliberately incorporate these skills vital to the study of history and to challenge my students to be historians… allowing them the opportunity to practice these skills consistently to build the proficiency, habits and dispositions of the historian.
Sherlock Holmes and Batman both had the reputation of being “the world’s greatest detectives” in solving great criminal mysteries. While fictional, they might epitomize my goals for my students: to be great history detectives. I hope my students demonstrate those same analytical skills of Holmes and Wayne: to look at the historical evidence of primary sources and compare them to their growing understanding of the past through the secondary sources they’ve examined. To measure the merits and limits of evidence, past and present, and to evaluate and interpret it critically to draw well-reasoned conclusions and arguments.
[1] Kyle Ward, Not Written in Stone: Learning and Unlearning History Through 200 Years of Textbooks, New York: New Press, 2010.
[2] Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 07-12, 1816, Manuscript/Mixed Material, https://www.loc.gov/item/mtjbib022494/.
