Understanding History and Historical Sources

Definition of History
History is derived from the Greek word iotopia (historía), meaning "learning" or "inquiry." It is
broadly defined as "the past of mankind."

Louis Gottschalk, in his work Understanding History, defines history as:

The sum total of what happened in the past, encompassing every event, action, and thought
of humankind.
The act of analyzing and writing about the past.

Webster's Vest Pocket Dictionary offers a more concise definition:

A chronological record of significant events.

The study of past events.

E.H. Carr, an English historian, defined history as a continuous process of interaction between
the historian and his facts, an unending dialogue between the present and the past. For Carr,
history means interpretation.

The Filipino term Kasaysayan is derived from saysay, meaning "narrative" or "salaysay," and also
"relevance" or "importance." Zeus Salazar defines it as Salaysay na may saysay para sa
sinasalaysayang grupo ng tao (Relevant stories/narrative of the people).

Reasons to Study History

Understand the Present: History provides context for current events, societal structures, and
cultural norms.
Learn from Past Mistakes and Successes: By examining past outcomes, we can make more
informed decisions and avoid repeating errors.
Develop Critical Thinking: Analyzing historical sources and narratives hones critical thinking
skills, enabling us to evaluate information and form reasoned judgments.
Build Cultural Identity and Awareness: History helps us understand our heritage, traditions,
and the evolution of our culture and identity.
Improve Citizenship: Understanding historical struggles for rights and freedoms, as well as
the development of political systems, fosters informed and engaged citizenship.
Revisit Forgotten Cultures: History allows us to explore the richness of past civilizations and
potentially relive aspects of them in the present.
Empathize with Past Individuals: It offers the chance to step into the lives of people from
different eras and understand their experiences.

Historical Criticism
Historical criticism is the process of analyzing historical sources to determine their authenticity
and reliability. It involves two main types:

External Criticism

External criticism aims to check the authenticity of a primary source. It focuses on the form and
origin of the document to ensure it is genuine and not a forgery.

Key aspects of External Criticism:

Problem of Authenticity: Identifying fabricated, forged, or faked documents and

distinguishing hoaxes or misrepresentations.
Tests of Authenticity:
Date: Determining if the document's date is anachronistic (e.g., mentioning pencils before
the 16th century).
Author: Verifying the author through handwriting, signature, or seal.
Anachronistic Style: Examining elements like idiom, orthography, and punctuation for
inconsistencies with the purported period.
Anachronistic Reference to Events: Checking if references to events are too early, too late,
or too remote.
Provenance or Custody: Tracing the origin and ownership history of the document to
confirm its genuineness.

Internal Criticism

Internal criticism checks the reliability and credibility of a source once its authenticity has been
established. It focuses on the content and the author's ability and willingness to tell the truth.

Key aspects of Internal Criticism:

Problem of Credibility: Assessing whether the relevant particulars in the document are
believable or verisimilar (close to what really happened based on available sources).
Tests of Credibility:
Identification of the Author: Understanding the author's mental processes, personal
attitudes, and potential biases.
Determination of the Approximate Date: Ensuring the account is from a reasonable time
relative to the event.
Ability to Tell the Truth: Evaluating the author's nearness to the event, competence as a
witness, and degree of attention.
Willingness to Tell the Truth: Determining if the author consciously or unconsciously
conveys falsehoods.
Corroboration: Seeking independent testimony from other reliable witnesses to confirm
historical facts.

Questions to be answered for Internal Criticism:

 How close was the author to the event? This refers to the author's physical location and
proximity to the events described.
When was the account made? A primary source should be contemporary or close to the
period being studied.
Who was the recipient of the account? The intended audience can influence the content and
perspective.
Is there bias to be accounted for? Identifying any prejudice or slant that might affect the
narrative.
Does informed common sense make the account probable? Assessing the logical
consistency and plausibility of the narrative.
Is the account corroborated by other accounts? Checking for consistency with other
independent sources.

Historical Sources
Historical sources are materials used for writing history. They are the testimonies and objects
from the past upon which historians rely. Sources are classified into two main types:

Primary Sources

A primary source is a piece of evidence written or created during the period under investigation.
It is a firsthand account or eyewitness testimony from a participant or witness of an event.

Characteristics of Primary Sources:

Must have been produced by a contemporary of the event it narrates.

They are tangible remains of the past.
Examples include:
Letters
Manuscripts
Diaries
Journals
Memoirs
Autobiographies
Oral histories
Newspapers (often)
Government documents
Photographs (often)
Maps (often)
Video footage of an event (often)
Interviews
Speeches
Audio recordings
Research data
Objects or artifacts

Four Main Categories of Primary Sources:

1. Written Sources: Books, manuscripts, letters, diaries, government documents, etc.
2. Images: Photographs, sketches, drawings, paintings, cartoons, maps.
3. Artifacts: Physical objects from the past (e.g., pottery, tools, buildings, human remains).
4. Oral Testimony: Accounts passed down through speech, including oral histories and
interviews.

Examples of Primary Sources:

Maps: Useful for indicating locations, topography, and how space and geography were used
(e.g., trade routes).
Photographs: Reflect social conditions, historical realities, and everyday life.
Sketches and Drawings: Can indicate the conditions of life in past societies.
Cartoons: For political expression or propaganda, indicating the temper of the times.
Paintings: Visual representations that offer insight into the context of the period they were
made.
Objects and Artifacts: The Manunggul Jar, Callao Man remains, artifacts from the Calatagan
burial site.
Written Documents: Documents written in Baybayin, personal letters (e.g., Bonifacio to
Jacinto).
Photographs of Events and Personalities: E.g., 19th-century market scenes, newspaper
photos of historical events.
Historic Structures: Buildings and sites that have historical significance.

Types of Written Sources:

Published Materials: Books, magazines, journals, travelogues, transcriptions of speeches.

Manuscripts: Any handwritten or typed record that has not been printed, including archival
materials, memoirs, and diaries.

Types of Non-Written Sources:

Material Evidence (Archaeological Evidence): Artifacts, ruins, fossils.

Oral Evidence: Stories, sagas, oral histories.
Visual Evidence: Art works, video recordings.

Secondary Sources

A secondary source is a work produced after an event has taken place. It interprets, analyzes,
and comments on primary sources or past events. These sources are one or more steps
removed from the event.

Characteristics of Secondary Sources:

Interpret and analyze primary sources.

May contain pictures, quotes, or graphics from primary sources.
Examples include:
History textbooks
Biographies
Journal or magazine articles that interpret or review previous findings
 Books with endnotes and footnotes
Most scholarly works that synthesize primary sources.

Antonio Pigafetta's "The First Voyage Around The

World"
Author: Antonio Pigafetta (1491-1531), a Venetian citizen who studied astronomy, geography,
and cartography.
Context: Pigafetta was on board the Victoria, the only ship that returned to Spain from
Ferdinand Magellan's expedition (1519-1522), which aimed to find a western sea route to the
Spice Islands.
Content: The book provides an account of the expedition's experiences, offering detailed
descriptions of the places visited, peoples encountered, and events witnessed.
Pre-colonial Filipinos: Pigafetta described their lifestyle, clothing, diet, communication
methods, and social structures. He mentioned the use of a translator named Enrique, who
was from Sumatra.
Key Events and Observations:
Arrival in Zamal (Samar) and Humunu (Homonhon), which they called Acquada da li buoni
Segnialli and the archipelago of San Lazaro.
The first mass in the Philippines, held in Mazaua (Limasawa) on April 1, 1521, attended by
Magellan, Rajah Kolambu, Rajah Siagu, and local islanders.
The baptism of Raja Humabon and 800 natives in Zubu (Cebu) on April 15, 1521, where
Pigafetta presented the queen with an image of the Child Jesus (now known as the Sto.
Niño).
The Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521, where Magellan was killed. Pigafetta noted the
islanders used bamboo lances and stakes hardened with fire.
The practice of blood compact as an ancient ritual to validate agreements or friendships.

Contribution to Philippine History:

Provides a detailed account of the lifestyle of pre-colonial Filipinos.
Offers a firsthand narrative of Magellan's arrival and the initial encounters with indigenous
peoples.
Documents the introduction of Christianity and its early impact.
Identifies Lapulapu as a defender of sovereignty and provides one of the few known
contemporary accounts of him.
Highlights the importance of early seafaring and navigation.

Relevance:
Served as evidence for the Earth being round.
Demonstrated a westward route to the East.
Led to the discovery of the Pacific Ocean.
Documented the initial resistance to foreign invasion, which delayed Spanish occupation
by approximately 40 years.

Important Note: Lapulapu did not personally kill Magellan. The Battle of Mactan delayed the
Spanish occupation by 40 years.

Spanish Era: Coming of the Spaniards

Magellan's Expedition (1519-1521)
Objective: To find a western sea route to the Spice Islands (Moluccas).
Fleet: Departed Spain on August 10, 1519, with five ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Victoria,
Conception, Santiago) and 270 men.
Voyage:
Crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Discovered the Pacific Ocean, which they named Pacificus (tranquil) due to its calm
waters.
Landed in Guam on March 6, 1521.
Reached Cebu, Philippines, on March 16, 1521 (about 400 miles from the Spice Islands).
Magellan converted the chief of Cebu, Raja Humabon, to Christianity.
Assisted Humabon in conquering a rival tribe on Mactan.
Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521.

Circumnavigation: After Magellan's death, the expedition continued under Juan Sebastián
Elcano. The Victoria successfully returned to Spain on September 6, 1522, completing the first
circumnavigation of the globe.

Miguel López de Legazpi's Expedition (1564)

Objective: To invade and colonize the Philippine Archipelago.
Fleet: Departed Navidad, Mexico, on November 21, 1564, with four ships and 380 men,
including Fr. Andrés de Urdaneta.
Arrival and Colonization:
Initially unwelcome in Cebu, the fleet proceeded to Samar and Leyte, where they were
welcomed by Prince Kamutahon.
They were accepted in Limasawa by Datu Bankaw.
In Bohol, Legazpi made a blood compact with Rajah Sikatuna after explaining they were
not Portuguese.
Legazpi returned to Cebu on April 27, 1565, destroyed the town of Raja Tupas, and
established a settlement.
An expedition led by Martín de Goiti from Cebu conquered Manila, establishing Spanish
rule.
Legazpi made peace with Rajahs Suliman, Lakandula, and Matanda.
In 1571, Legazpi ordered the construction of Intramuros, establishing it as the seat of
government.
Legazpi died in 1572 and was buried at San Agustin Church in Intramuros.

Morals and Lessons

Source Reliability: Believe stories only with reliable sources.
Caution with Strangers: Be wary of strangers, as they may have ulterior motives.
Seize Opportunities: The world is vast; do not waste opportunities. Persistence can lead to
success ("If there's a will, there's a way").
Beware of Traitors: Be cautious, as betrayal can come from unexpected places.