NAME __________________________________ DATE ____________________ PERIOD _____
WORLD HISTORY \ GIFTED
CLASS NOTES \ CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY (PART 2)
A. EVIDENCE
 Historians ask questions about information they find from the past → e.g., Why did
certain nations go to war? How were the people affected by the war?
— To learn answers to questions about the past, they look for EVIDENCE
EVIDENCE = something that provides proof or indication that
something is true
— Evidence exists in form of material objects (e.g., clothing, pottery, tools) and
documents or other written materials
— History is pieced together using evidence
 Historians find evidence of the past in PRIMARY and SECONDARY SOURCES
— PRIMARY SOURCES → FIRSTHAND pieces of evidence written or created by
people who saw or experienced an event (eye witness)

Include ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (e.g., diaries, speeches, manuscripts,
letters, interviews, news film footage, photographs, autobiographies,
government records); CREATIVE WORKS (e.g., literature, artwork, music);
ARTIFACTS (e.g., pottery, clothing, furniture, buildings)
(EXAMPLE)

In one of the late movements of our troops in the
valley…, a strong force of Moseby’s mountain
guerillas attack’d a train of wounded...No sooner
had our men surrender’d, the rebels instantly
commenced robbing the train and murdering their
prisoners, even the wounded.
Primary sources originate from period of time the historian is investigating
→ help historians explain events by learning what people were thinking
and experiencing at the time

Historians analyze and interpret information from primary sources → e.g.,
Where and when was the source created? Why was it created? For whom
was it intended?
— SECONDARY SOURCES → works that interpret and analyze primary sources;
created AFTER historical event by people who were NOT part of event (e.g.,
biographies, encyclopedias, history books, textbooks)
(EXAMPLE)
The Civil War was a conflict between the United
States government and a group of states that had
seceded (withdrawn) from the union. The war took
more American lives than any other war in history.
Secondary sources contain background information and are often based
on primary sources
B. POINT OF VIEW

Historians interpret primary sources and reasons they were created → they then
attempt to determine whether sources are trustworthy and reliable
— Primary sources are each created with a particular POINT OF VIEW → individual
responsible for source used point of view to decide what information to
document → can affect RELIABILITY of source
POINT OF VIEW = personal attitude about people or life
— Point of view is evident in secondary sources as well → after interpreting
evidence presented in primary sources, historians put together what they believe
is the most accurate account of events, leaving out information that is not
considered important or relevant

BIAS can often appear in a point of view → primary and secondary sources with bias
cannot always be trusted
BIAS = unreasoned, emotional judgment about people and events;
prejudice
— Bias includes hostility toward certain groups of people or ignoring certain events
or groups → until 1900s, for example, women’s history was often left out of
historical writings
— Whole groups of people and their lives, accomplishments, etc., can be “erased”
from history if historians do not view them as historically significant
— Most sources of history—primary and secondary—are biased in one way or
another
C. WRITING ABOUT HISTORY
 To write about an event, historians interpret evidence from primary sources and make
INFERENCES
INFERENCE = choosing most likely explanation for facts based on
evidence found
Inferences are made by checking evidence in primary sources and comparing it to
sources known to be trustworthy (e.g., comparing diary entries to government
records); they then look at secondary sources with different points of view about
an event → in this way, historians attempt to get clear, well-rounded view of
what happened
 After evaluating facts and evidence, and making inferences based on these, historians
come to CONCLUSIONS about the people, events, etc., they are studying → these
interpretations are published in scholarly (academic) journals, magazines or books
CONCLUSION = final decision reached by reasoning
Review: historian gather evidence, then make inferences and then draw conclusions
(EXAMPLE)
Terraces, or “steps”,
carved out of the
mountainsides of the
Andes of South
America have been
discovered in Peru
↓
EVIDENCE
(PRIMARY SOURCE)
+
Artifacts, accounts
written by Spanish
explorers, and other
secondary historical
writings prove that the
Inca civilization
inhabited the Andes
region of South America
↓
EVIDENCE
(PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY SOURCES)
→
The Inca carved
terraces on the
mountainsides
of the Andes in
order to create
flat areas on
which to farm
↓
INFERENCE
=
The Inca were
skilled farmers
↓
CONCLUSION
— Most historical books and articles are reviewed by other historians for accuracy
→ this is referred to as HISTORIOGRAPHY (study of historical works)
— At times, historians disagree about interpretation of facts → e.g., many
historians praise Christopher Columbus as a courageous and skilled navigator;
others point to his cruelty to and abuse of Native Americans