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Have you ever considered being a historian?
That's not a silly question.
It does not necessarily mean that you have to work as a professional historian or university professor. Simply that you start to THINK HISTORICALLY about events, issues and peoples.
Believe it or not, the following people are historians! One of my favourites - the History Bombs.
Historical thinking is a refined skill whereby we make evaluations on events in the past by examining existing sources of information. It is now really "out of date" (pardon the pun!) to think of history as just one standard, unchanged story line, populated by dead people and useless facts.
In a sense, History is 'all around us' and affects us much more than we realise!
The past, in fact, is very much alive - so to speak! - in the sense that depending on our examination and interrogation of a whole array of sources (newspapers, diaries, archaeological artefacts, posters, photos, journals, just to name the obvious ones), our understanding and interpretation of the past is constantly being enriched.
As fascinating as the past may be, we also must recognise that historians often disagree over their views, or interpretations, of the past. Just why is a consensus about historical events is difficult to achieve is the subject of this video.
So first and foremost, being a historian essentially means that you are able to think historically. Cultivate the necessary skills so as to always bring to mind the following whenever you are reflecting on events of the recent or distant past:
CONTEXT
CHRONOLOGY
CHARACTERS
CAUSES
CONSEQUENCES
Case-Study: The Founding of Singapore in 1819
In considering this important landmark event crucial to the nation's history and identity, ask yourselves the following sets of questions:
1) CONTEXT: What was the world like in 1819? Which were the influential powers in that era? Did these countries get along with each other or not? How far was Europe from Singapore? How long was the travel time, and by what mode of transport? Was Britain the only country interested in Singapore?
2) CHRONOLOGY: Did the British colonise Penang and Malacca before or after Singapore? If before, why then was there a need to take Singapore?
3) CHARACTERS: Who were the local native rulers of Singapore then? Did they know of the European interest in the island? How did they respond when Raffles arrived in Singapore? Who was Raffles? Did others accompany him to the island? Did he require the permission of other men - local and European?
4) CAUSES: What prompted the British (East India Company) to start a settlement in Singapore? Was it trade? Was it naval defence? Was it to civilize the natives? Since Singapore was developed as a port, which shipping route did it serve? Why did the British come to Asia?
5) CONSEQUENCES: What happened immediately after 1819? How did the new colony progress? Was it neglected? Did it thrive? Why? Who else came to the island after 1819?
Ever wondered what it's like to be a History student at Birmingham University in England? Check it out here!
Here's a useful and interesting starter to get you going on being a historian.
Are you a History teacher like me? Hmmm......
Once you begin to grasp the basic skills of being a historian, you can move on to the next step, which is to cultivate an inquiring mind when trying to understand historical issues. Explore this website and look up the page on Thinking Historically.
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