CHAPTER FOUNDATIONS OF THE STUDY 1 OF HISTORY L ESSON 1 Basic Facts on the Study of History 1. What is history? 2. Why is it important to know history? 3. How do relics and artifacts, like a carved idol (bul’ol) or a clay jar (banga), tell us something about our history? 4. What process do historians follow when recording history? The Social Sciences introduced, transferred, used, and translated into Social science is “the study of human society the high school level through Social Studies. Social and of individual relationships in and to society.” Studies is a learning area within the high school Scholarly or scientific disciplines that deal with curriculum that provides coordinated and systematic such study include sociology, psychology, anthro- study of information, skills, and concepts about the pology, economics, political science, and history. different fields of the social sciences. Below is a diagram showing the different disciplines in social All scientific inquiries and knowledge acquired sciences and the concepts used in Social Studies. and learned in the fields of social sciences have been Social Science Political Science Geography Sociology Linguistics Psychology History Anthropology Philosophy Social Studies History Demography Culture Climate Ethics Environment Change Mores Government Laws 2 S OCIAL S TUDIES IN P ERSPECTIVE I S ECOND E DITION Social Studies helps students to develop the man’s activities, the things he had done, how he did necessary knowledge and skills that will make them them, and how he had come to do them. well-informed individuals. It will help them make The study of history leads us to analyze the correct decisions as citizens of a world with cultur- structure of society of a given period, its community, ally diverse but interdependent societies. government, languages, and the emergence of phi- One of the oldest disciplines in social sciences losophy and religion. Certain events that have played is history. It is a science that deals with the study of a crucial role in the development of man and their important events of the past that are significant at effects on the society to which he belongs are studied present. History makes use of the other social sci- more thoroughly (Garraghan & Delanglez, 1946). ences to better understand what is then and its di- Here are some views of well-known historians rect or indirect effect to what is now. and anthropologists on the study of history: The Chinese 1. F. Landa Jocano – former dean and professor of and Egyptians en- Anthropology at the Institute of Philippine Stud- gaged their civiliza- ies, Center for Advanced Studies, University of tions in documenting the Philippines their history. But the Greeks are known “History is not only the recording of to have formalized chronological events but the understanding this study since the of the relationship between history and ar- time of Herodotus, chaeology. Our understanding of history is otherwise known as not complete without an understanding of the “Father of His- the relevance of events in the past.” tory.” To guide them in their studies, the 2. William Henry Scott – well-known historian of Greeks used fossils the Cordilleras and the pre-colonial period of both humans and Herodotus, the Father of History, is best known for his work entitled Histories. It “History creates a nation and unites its animals, buried rel- is the story of the rise of Persian power people.” ics, and ancient wis- and its fight against Greece. dom (Reither, 1948). 3. Renato Constantino (1919–1999) – former pro- fessor of History at the University of the Philip- Understanding first what history is, why study- pines and respected Filipino historian ing it is important, and the process by which history is recorded will be carried out in the following dis- “The study of history should not only cussion. be based on a particular group of people or some known historical figures, it should also The Definition of History consider the history of the masses.” History is the science that deals with the study of past events. There are two types of history (writ- 4. George Santayana – respected historian ten or oral) which tell of man’s progress and failures “Those who cannot remember the past from the past to the present time. It is an account of are condemned to repeat it.” P HILIPPINE H ISTORY AND G EOGRAPHY 3 5. Fernand Braudel – French historian For example: a. The fossils of the Tabon Man found in the “In order to achieve a so-called total Tabon Cave in Palawan history, all aspects of man’s past must be integrated. This can be done by examining b. Documents written by Filipinos, Spaniards, the circumstances underlying the political, Americans, and the Japanese that are in- social, cultural, and economic aspects.” cluded in the National Archives The Process of Recording History c. Interviews with World War II veterans Recording the history of a certain place or 3. Analyze sources and data. Researched mate- people is a challenging and complex task. The ob- rials and sources are analyzed and evaluated jective of its study is to give both the casual reader thoroughly to verify their authenticity and ac- and the serious scholar an analytical, accurate, and curacy. They are also studied carefully for their relevant account of the significant past of people, relevance in certain periods. their environment, and society. Using the method- ological process to fulfill this objective, here are the For example: steps to follow in the study, analysis, and recording a. The electronic spin resonance is a method of history. that enables archeologists to analyze and estimate the length of time fossils have 1. Develop a framework. The framework refers been buried before their discovery. This to the organization and direction that the re- method was used in the discovery of the searched information will follow to present a Tabon Man. unique yet analytical perspective of history. b. The Laguna Copperplate was meticulously For example: and thoroughly deciphered and analyzed to A particular framework may follow the verify its authenticity. perspective of a Filipino historian rather than a non-Filipino historian. With this framework, c. The carbon-14 technique led historians to those who were considered as “bandits, fanatics, confirm the presence of early inhabitants in and pirates” by American colonizers may be the Philippines, such as the Homo erectus in perceived as heroes and martyrs who fought Cagayan and the early settlers in the Tabon for independence of the Philippines. Example Cave, between 25 and 50 centuries ago. of this is the case of Macario Sakay. 4. Understand the meaning and relevance of data. 2. Gather data. According to Garraghan and By piecing information together, the sculptured Delanglez (1946), historians need authentic cover of the Manunggul jar that shows two sources to make an accurate and reliable re- people riding a boat proves to be more than cording of history. Included in these sources, just a creative design. It symbolizes Filipinos’ aside from written documents, are artifacts, belief in life after death, dramatizing how the customs, beliefs, habits and traditions, as well souls of the departed get to the afterlife via a as oral sources in the form of songs and epics. boat (bangka). 4 S OCIAL S TUDIES IN P ERSPECTIVE I S ECOND E DITION would include delineation between oral (e.g., in- terviews and songs) and written (e.g., diaries and books). 1. Artifacts/Remains. These are tools, weapons, instruments, and various everyday implements of an ancient culture (Kottak, 1991). These can be classified as primary but not written histori- cal sources. For example: a. The Manunggul jar used by early inhabit- ants in Palawan between 810 and 790 BCE held the remains of their deceased. Manunggul jar b. Stone and porcelain antiques dating from 700 to 900 CE were found in Laurel and This new understanding is relevant in pro- Calatagan, Batangas. viding a wider perspective of ancient history and civilization. It shows that even before the introduction of Christianity by the Spaniards, early Filipinos already had a profound belief in the afterlife. 5. “Reconstruct” history. This final stage refers to the actual writing process when all data and sources of information have been analyzed, evaluated, and pieced together to form a chron- ological, consistent, and accurate timeline and narration. Historical Sources Chinese porcelain We need reliable sources to validate the au- thenticity and accuracy of historical data and events. c. The San Diego Galleon was discovered Historical sources can be classified into two: prima- in Fortune Island in Nasugbu, Batangas ry and secondary. Primary sources are eyewitness on 24 April 1991. The Spaniards used this accounts of a historical event either written or said large sailing ship not only as a means of by the people who have experienced or who have commerce but also in their war against the lived in a certain period of time. On the other hand, Dutch on 14 December 1600. The ship was secondary sources are those based on primary built upon the instructions of Don Antonio sources. Examples of secondary sources are text- de Morga, then lieutenant-governor of books, review of literature, and similar materials. Manila. The information on the location A more detailed classification of historical sources of the San Diego Galleon was found in P HILIPPINE H ISTORY AND G EOGRAPHY 5 Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, written by g. Archaeological digs in different parts of Don Antonio de Morga himself. the country gathered a collection of Bud- dhist statues. The National Museum, with a team of expert divers from France, took charge of h. A golden statue of an ancient religion was the search for the sunken ship.