LESSON NOTES
INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY
The term “history” is derived from a Greek word historia which means “inquiry”. The subject
began to develop in the fifth century BC as humans tried to understand and explain the past in a
rational way.
Herodutus, a 5th–century BC, Greek historian is considered the “father of history”. He along
with contemporary Thucydides helped shape the foundation of modern human history. History is
taught often as part of primary and secondary education. The academic study of history is a
major discipline in University studies.
IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY OF HISTORY
1. History teaches valuable lessons of every kind: moral, political, social and economic. The
events of the past when studies hands down valuable lessons to individual and society.
2. The study of history helps one to understand contemporary problems better, and to propose
suitable and intelligent solutions.
3. History offers young people an opportunity to learn through the examples of others. A major
avenue by which young people lean about heroes and heroines who chalked successes in their
various endeavours to spur them on in life. The likes of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela,
Yaa Asantewaa, W. E. D du Bois, Martin Luther King Jnr, among others made strides in making
notable impact on their generation.
4. History is important in nation building. It can help many countries to identify their cultural
heritage in order to build on it.
5. The study of history helps promote national harmony and integration. By teaching people to
appreciate and respect cultures of other ethnic groups, they learn to tolerate other people and
their way of life.
6. The study of history can serve as a means of employment. Studying history to a high level in
academia can be an avenue for employment. Occupations associated with the study of history
include; project coordinator, archivist, historic site, information officer, museum worker, antique
dealer, historical research assistant, genealogical assistant, educational program director, history
writer, biographer, researcher, journalist, curator and many others.
SOURCES OF HISTORY
Sources refer to anything that gives us a clue about history. There are two types of sources.
These are:
1. Primary Sources/unwritten sources/non-documentary sources
2. Secondary/written/documentary sources.
SECONDARY SOURCES
Documentary/written sources are documented materials which serve as an important source of
history or add up to the existing knowledge in history. Examples of documentary sources include
diaries, private letters, newspapers, minutes of meetings, court records, government official
records, notebooks of students, textbooks and so on. The documentary sources have its own
merits and demerits as a source of history.
ADVANTAGES OF SECONDARY SOURCES
Written sources provides easy reference and very accessible.
Events are presented in a chronological order.
Information can easily be crosschecked to avoid bias and exaggeration.
Written sources are easily transferred from one generation to the other.
DISADVANTAGES OF SECONDARY SOURCES
Written sources are prone to bias prejudice and exaggeration.
They can be very expensive to acquire.
Information is lost in the event of disasters such as floods, fire outbreak etc.
Wrong information given cannot easily be corrected.
There can be the problem of language barrier.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Non-documentary/un-written sources are non-documented forms of obtaining information to
write African history. These include archaeology, oral tradition, linguistics, ethnography, art
work, serology, numismatics, ethnobotany and ethnomusicology.
ADVANTAGES OF PRIMARY SOURCES
Unwritten sources are easily accessible.
Unwritten sources are cheap to acquire
Unwritten sources are easily transferred from one generation to the other.
DISADVANTAGES OF PRIMARY SOURCES
Unwritten sources can be biased and exaggerated.
Some unwritten sources can be very expensive to acquire.
Information may be wrong.
Wrong information given cannot easily be corrected.
There can be the problem of language barrier.