Before we are able to study the history of Latin American peoples and cultures effectively, we must first understand the methods and practices of the discipline of history.
What is History, and how do we study it? To answer this question, read all of the materials at this site (including the "Primary and Secondary Sources" and "Historical Significance" sections). Please take notes--you will be glad you did as you complete the first class assignments :) This brief module at Carleton College provides some ideas about how to read and take notes effectively. In this class, the core of our work will be based on reading and evaluating different types of texts. Strong note taking skills are essential to that process.
To round out your short introduction to historical study, view the video below and read this 2012 New York Times op-ed piece by Timothy Egan.
Why is History still being rewritten?
The field of history is dynamic and ever changing. The study of history, therefore, is NOT about the memorization of names, dates, and facts. History is constantly being rewritten—by academic historians, historians who write for popular presses, as well as historical filmmakers (documentary and feature films alike). Think about the reasons for this seemingly constant revision of history. Why isn’t history “set in stone”?
Read and think about the following passage to help you evaluate the reasons for historical revision:
“Even though rewriting is constantly taking place, historians’ attitudes towards using new interpretations have been anything but settled. For most, the validity of revisionism lies in providing a stronger, more convincing account that better captures the objective truth of the matter. Although such historians might agree that we never arrive at the ‘truth,’ they believe it exists and over time may be better approximated. As the other extreme stand scholars who believe that each generation or even each cultural group or subgroup necessarily regards the past differently, each creating for itself a more usable history. Although these latter scholars do not reject the possibility of demonstrating empirically that some contentions are better than others, they focus on generating new views based upon different life experiences. Different truths exist for different groups. Surely such an understanding, by emphasizing subjectivity, further encourages rewriting history. Between these two groups are those historians who wish to borrow from both sides. This third group, while accepting that every congeries of individuals sees matters differently, still wishes somewhat contradictorily to fashion a broader history that incorporates both of these particular visions. Revisionists who stress empiricism fall into the first of the three camps, while others spread out across the board.”
–from Series Editor’s Preface to North American Borderlands, edited by Brian DeLay