/r/historiography

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Subreddit dedicated to historiography, discussions about its theory, methods and development.

Share some toughs about old and new approaches to understanding and interpreting history.

Review and discuss interesting history books.

Give and receive advice about research and approaches to specific topics.

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/r/historiography

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3

A good general history of the US

Good evening,

I teach 8th grade US history in Texas (beginnings to 1877). I am looking for a good general history of the US to guide me a bit as I plan my lessons/units. I have considered “Penguin History of the United States” by Hugh Brogan, but I am not convinced. I would also like to avoid paying traditional textbook price. Any recommendations will be appreciated.

Thanks!

2 Comments
2024/02/24
03:52 UTC

2

Use of Fiction in a Historiography Research Paper

As the title says, I'm currently working on a research paper involving historiography and how different works challenge or support how people interpret historical events. My topic how such literature has affected the way we view women and marriage in the early 19th century.

Here is the question: I would really like to use one of Jane Austen's books, as they have very much been a factor in how modern women view that time period, however I'm not sure if referencing fiction is entirely appropriate when writing about historiography. The book was written during the era and is technically a primary source itself, so as long as I reference the book and it's reception as a whole rather than its plot/content I would think it would be permissible?

0 Comments
2024/02/13
22:49 UTC

1

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe fights defamation campaign after selfie with Prince Harry with army of Lawyers

Prince Mario-Max the real Prince became target of unprecedented tabloid hate-campaign in fake news

Los Angeles (pts034/29.01.2024/20:15)

Prince Harry won the Living Legends of Aviation Award, had a chat with Dr. Prince Mario-Max, who congratulated him, and then both became the target of an unprecedented hate-campaign launched by a tabloid. Dr. Prince Mario-Max Prinz zu Schaumburg-Lippe is a German lawyer who works in Hollywood as Journalist and Producer and SAG-AFTRA host. His birth parents are Dr. Princess Antonia zu Schaumburg-Lippe and his father is Prince Waldemar zu Schaumburg-Lippe. His father Prince Waldemar had an aunt named Princess Helga-Lee that could not have children (miscarriages) and adopted Prince Mario-Max as successor. Therefore, Prince Mario-Max is a double REAL prince through his birth parents and Princess Helga-Lee – as GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS proof - despite the discriminatory fabrications spread by a hater.

The family is dealing with a obviously jealous bully named Alexander Schaumburg-Lippe, since decades. On occasion of the defamation campaign against Prince Harry and Dr. Prince Mario-Max, Mister Alexander Prinz zu Schaumburg-Lippe - an ordinary citizen of the republic of Germany - used the tabloids to proclaim himself as a fictitious "head of the family." He is absolutely not any head of Prince Waldemar's real royal ancestral family.

Outraged by such fraudulent propaganda, Prince Waldemar reputed this absurd claim from this personage of Non-Royal-Danish-Ancestry. Prince Waldemar maintained a lifelong police of distance and disassociation from such impudent claims of a lower German Schaumburg-Lippe line persona.

Mr. Alexander Schaumburg is obviously a megalomaniac that desperately targets Prince Mario-Max to grab his 5 minutes in the news. It's absurd that they present this person as commentator. A tabloid abuse to bully Prince Mario-Max's family with fake news stories. "There is no head of the family, or anything alike under German law for our family. A fabricated but widely spread false narrative", Dr. Princess Antonia zu Schaumburg-Lippe adds.

Government documents about the legacy and names of the REAL Prince Mario-Max, Dr. Prince Mario-Max Prinz zu Schaumburg-Lippe have been attached and Dr. Prince Mario-Max legal team is sending out cease and desist proceedings to anyone fabricating false, fake or fraudulent reputation attacks against real Dr. Prince Mario-Max. "The abusive campaign has to end and compensation is due", Dr. Princess Antonia adds.

Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe was attacked for his private event attendance and simply doing his job working in entertainment as teleshopping host , TV- and Stage-actor. He is members of LA Press Club, OEJC Austrian Press Club, SAG-AFTRA, EQUITY and AGVA.

1 Comment
2024/01/31
20:44 UTC

3

How do you differentiate "5th century" from "500's" in your mind?

This is a psycho-historiographical question for historians or those who are very strong in the area of history. It was removed from /r/AskHistorians, so I am hoping this is a more appropriate place to ask the question.

I often mix up "5th century" with "500's" in my mind. Their 5-ness inevitably links them together. "5th century" and "400's" do not share 5-ness or 4-ness, so they are harder for me to link together. Basically, I have to do a translation process in my mind every time I encounter a date. So when I see "482" I internally add 1 to determine what century it is. This process is, relatively speaking, quite slow. It's like being given the problem 4 + 3 and counting 5, 6, 7 rather than just knowing that 4 + 3 = 7.

I do not tend to mix up specific dates. For example, I know that the Northern Qi dynasty started in 550 CE. I don't tend to get this mixed up with 450 CE. However, the large arcs of history I only know in terms of centuries, or perhaps early and late parts of a century. I often mix up centuries, or fail to relate them to the dates they contain. (It would be impossible for me to memorize exact dates of everything. Even if I could, incomplete historical records, geological dating, and other indirect dating methods give us only a large range of dates. So I assume that thinking in terms of whole centuries is unavoidable.)

Lastly, I should mention that I do not have dyslexia or dyscalculia, and I have achieved a Masters level of education. My first degree is in Computer Science, where we work with numbers in quite a different way. My second degree is in Psychology, where numbers were not particularly relevant.

So, for those who do not experience this dilemma, or who have learned to overcome it, what works for you? Do you have to perform a translation, or do you just see the connection? Any insight into your process or what it feels like phenomenologically is very much appreciated.

4 Comments
2023/07/23
16:05 UTC

0

Hike to the Hira Cave - Jabl Al Noor

Had the privilege to visit Ghar-e-Hira (Cave Hira) a few months ago. The peace I found there was unmatched.

Humbled by the privilege of offering prayers within these sacred walls, where the beloved Holy Prophet (PBUH) once sought solace.

0 Comments
2023/07/01
01:33 UTC

5

Some thoughts on AI and historiography.

With the incredible pace of advance shown by the latest ChatGPT version, it got me thinking about how it could be about to revolution the study of history.

Soon, it is going to be possible to use AI to do all of the following, very quickly:

  • Search for and collect every single historical primary source that is available online
  • Make that database searchable by keyword, time, place, person, source, etc
  • Search for and collect every single secondary source available online, and link them to primary sources.
  • Translate all known languages into any other language
  • Cross-reference any and all texts, in any and all languages, and even identifying findings absent in the entire literature.
  • Upload new material by simply submitting photographs of the texts.

Phew.

Now, obviously accuracy is a major question. I'm sure many have seen how unreliable previous versions have been. Yet this seems to be improving rapidly with each new iteration.

Given that the status quo is hardly a gold standard of objectivity, it's not hard to imagine a system such as this quickly becoming more accurate than all but the most learned expert on the most niche and undocumented areas of history.

But as a tool? A tool that can simultaneously give you the phone number of the archive housing the text it's citing? That people can then verify for themselves?

I mean, this is gonna change everything, right?

4 Comments
2023/03/15
16:36 UTC

4

The History of Iran - Part 1 - The Achaemenid Empire and Greco-Persian Wars

0 Comments
2023/02/08
19:49 UTC

3

Plutarch summarized: Caesars crossroads, the destruction of the republic by conspiracy, caesar merging two different powers for himself, pompey pledges himself as a protector of a tyrant, the despicable treatment of women as coin and pompey takes the republican capital by force

At the time of caesars first consulship election, he saw that pompey and crassus was contending for hegemonic power over the republic and understanding that he also had a lot of power, he therefore could unbalance this competition by whatever side he pleased

And according to Plutarch, it was exactly what he did and it seems it was by the most Machiavellic means. Cato also said that it was not the competition between pompey and caesar that brought ruin to the republic in the end, but in fact it was their Machiavellic friendship its doom

Caesar made so much popular measures in his consulship that in fact he transformed it in a tribuneship, merging two powers for himself. But when an important senator and cato was ready to give him trouble, he brought pompey to the rostra and made him pledge that he would protect caesar with violence if needed

Pompey was so given to caesar that he even married his daughter, who was to be already married to another man. Its crazy to think, but to pacify this man, pompey gave his own daughter to him, when in fact she also was promised to sullas son. Maybe it was coincidental, but now caesar also decided to marry a noble woman

But pompey being tired of being treated as cat and shoe by all his allies, he rose as an ultimate tyrant and filled the capital with armed soldiers. All of his measures was by the use of force and now the capital lived in a constant fear of sudden death

0 Comments
2023/01/05
14:24 UTC

1

Plutarch and his historiography summarized: Pompeys military loot, lucullus comeback, the despicable clodius and caesar machinations

Since his second triumph pompey captured 1000 fortress and 900 cities. He also founded 39 cities and captured 800 ships from the cilician pirates. Also he taxed 50 million in money from the conquered territory and looted 85 million and 20 thousand talents more and gave it to the roman state and its people, while to his soldiers he gave at least 15000 drachmae to each

When lucullus had returned from asia after being ill treated by pompey, he was received by the senate with the utmost honor and when later on pompey also had returned from asia, the senate started begging lucullus to defend the interest of the state from pompeys supposed machinations. Although lucullus had accustomed himself with a life of leisure and he had catos help, he nevertheless vigorously retracted pompeys banishment of his laws. Pompey, now humiliated, sought protection with tribunal power, therefore giving himself to young and inexperienced men, the most despicable being clodius

Clodius used to walk around the forum with pompey by his side making sure that all the interest of the common folk were being attended. Clodius also made pompey to exile cicero, the one who had helped Pompey a lot before. Cicero even tried to plea for his life but pompey shut his house door and fled from the back. So fearing for his life, cicero immediately left the city

Now, caesar being returned from his governorship he passed a law that brought him much popularity, then he got the consulship and started passing laws that would distribute land and found new cities so he could increase even further his popularity

0 Comments
2022/12/31
11:20 UTC

7

Are “on the ground” interviews considered primary sources if found in a secondary source book about historical event?

Working on my MA in History. I have understood that primary sources are viewed as giving voice to the past from sources that had first-hand experience of that studied historical event. I am studying the cultural movement known as the Arab spring and one of my secondary sources (book) has real interview comments of protesters on the ground durning the marches. Can the comment be used as a primary source?

3 Comments
2022/11/25
15:37 UTC

0

For a 15 mark test

What is scissor and paste history/historiography?

1 Comment
2022/09/17
14:49 UTC

3

Future key sources

Kinda funny to think that in 60 years time when the war in Ukraine is being taught in schools, it will be studied with the help of amazing first hand evidence, like tiktoks or Twitter profiles. Things which are to us today generally pretty mundane.

1 Comment
2022/09/12
23:48 UTC

1

The Historiography of Atlantis - Part 1: The Nephilim

0 Comments
2022/06/24
03:08 UTC

10

Am I the only one who finds pleasure in the aggressively opinionated way the ancients wrote history?

I find it very amusing that practically every historian is always finger-wagging you throughout the whole chronicle and whenever an emperor or king they don't like shows up, they go on the most massive tirades against them.

"He did this! Oh, he was so vile and contemptible and the people hated his cruel ways! He helped barbarians! "

Livy does it, Cassius Dio, Ammianus, Diodorus, Herodian, and Procopius go on whole tirades, and Suetonius and Tacitus certainly don't refrain from it either.

It's very interesting how these men wrote their histories because they read each others' works and so it's funny how these 'characters' just keep being reinforced.

For example, take this portion here form Theophanes

This Galerius Maximianus was such a fornicator that his subjects sought anxiously where they could hide their wives. He was so absorbed with the trickery of deceitful demons that he refrained from tasting anything without the support of divination.

  • Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle, Trans: Cyril Mango

Even the ones who are not Christian still have this way of writing which is just super aggressive.

1 Comment
2022/06/13
21:50 UTC

2

Historiography essay help

How will sources described in the literature review section sound like compared to those described in the main body? For historiography essay?

0 Comments
2022/04/12
18:07 UTC

5

Historiography research project and literature review.

I need to do a research project (3000 words) on historiography (how does Western and Chinese historiography differ on their interpretation of the significance and outcome of the trial of the Gang of four)

I need to write a literature review as part of that research project, but I'm confused as the things in the literature review surely will be be also found in the main body of the text?

How are sources discussed differently in the literature reicew part, compared to the main body? How long should a literature review part be and in how much detail should things be discussed and how should it sound? Any help would be much appreciated.

1 Comment
2022/03/26
09:29 UTC

3

Primary Sources for Illiterate People

How do y’all go about finding primary sources for illiterate people? I’m researching Francisco Pizarro for one of my college classes and it took forever to find just one primary source. There’s gotta be a better approach than what I used.

3 Comments
2022/03/25
01:12 UTC

2

Marxist historiography methodology?

What are some Marxist historiography methodologies? When doing research and it needs to be discussed?

4 Comments
2022/03/24
22:24 UTC

0

What are the methodologies used within historiography?

What exactly is methodology in historiography and what are the various types?

3 Comments
2022/03/24
16:46 UTC

3

Essay vs research paper in historiography?

I have to write a mini research paper 3000 words about the difference between western, Chinese historiography on the interpretation of the significance and outcomes of the trial of the Gang of Four. If I am writing a research paper rather than an essay, how should it sound? What's the difference between essay, research in this discipline as all other disciplines seem to use primary sources, original research, while historiography seems to be an anomaly in that respect. Any help would be much appreciated. I plan on using books, academic journals.

0 Comments
2022/03/24
10:48 UTC

2

Are primary sources used in historiography?

For historiography essays at university, is it fine to only use secondary sources? I think it should be because isn't historiography about what various historians had said and analysing that?

8 Comments
2022/01/17
15:15 UTC

0

Can anyone suggest a notable event/personality whose interpretations by historians have shifted throughout time?

However, the event itself/the interpretations of the event CANNOT be related to:

WW2

China 1927–1949

India 1942–1984

Indonesia 1945–2005

Japan 1904–1937

Iran 1945–1989

Conflict in Indochina 1954–1979

Conflict in the Pacific 1937–1951

Conflict in the Gulf 1980–2011

The Arab-Israeli Conflict 1948–1996

Pro-democracy Movement in Burma 1945–2010

The Cultural Revolution to Tiananmen Square 1966–1989

Apartheid in South Africa 1960–1994

This might be asking too much, but I'm looking for a topic where the changing views towards it throughout time can be fairly easy to categorise in various movements. Smth like the Boxer rebellion, for example, whose interpretations in China were influenced by 'New Culture Movement', Nationalism, and finally Marxism.

Any help would be much appreciated!

3 Comments
2022/01/17
07:25 UTC

0

For university research proposal/mini dissertation

I am thinking about doing an essay about the historiography of the Gang of Four, can someone help me choose an essay title? I am studying in a UK based university.

If anyone could help me find some resources it would be much appreciated.

0 Comments
2021/11/15
17:08 UTC

4

Historiography for beginners?

I am taking Chinese at university we need to write a mini dissertation, I originally wanted to do history (Ming or Qing) but my professor said I may need to have a good knowledge of classics for primary source analysis (I don't like classics at all), so the professor suggested to do a mini dissertation on historiography instead. I have never heard of the latter and I am not a historian by training- I did literature actually. My understanding is historiography is the analysis of how events are interpreted by a range of historians over the years and could involve looking at how different historical schools interpret events. As well as how different historians used different methods to come to different conclusions.

How can someone find good resources for Chinese historiography, how do I write a good essay? Any tips? How can I learn about the different methods historians used (I am not familiar with the methodology at all)

10 Comments
2021/11/06
15:16 UTC

1

Albert Soboul and The French Revolution

Hi everyone!!! I am trying to find/purchase a copy Albert Soboul’s book, The collected Essays of A Soboul about the French Revolution. It is a collection of Soboul’s lectures published by the Shanghai East China University Publishing House in 1984 after Albert Soboul and François Furet were invited to China by Chinese historians.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you so much.

0 Comments
2021/11/06
07:48 UTC

5

The invention and popularization of the "source" or "primary source"?

Hello All,

I asked this on r/AskHistorians previously, but this subreddit might be more equipped to help me: I'm wondering when the idea of the "source" or "primary source" was invented and popularized? As in, when did history writers start making a stark distinction between their own writings and the works they were referencing? I am curious about how this happened in art history as well: i.e. When did art historians begin considering earlier writings about art as "primary sources"? I figure, though, that art historians probably followed the lead of historians on this one. I have been looking into the question without much luck, but I am guessing this distinction came about in the 18th century, probably as an antiquarian development.

(In searching the etymology of the word "source," I found on etymonline.com that the first use of "source" meaning a "person or written work supplying information or evidence" is by 1777. Unfortunately they did not include a citation for this statement).

Thank you so much in advance! Any leads on this would be helpful as I am trying to compile a bibliography on the topic.

4 Comments
2021/10/07
19:59 UTC

3

I'm researching the history of psychology on american radio in 1900-1940

Hello, i'm a undergraduate student of psychology and i'm researching the lectures that the Psychologist John B. Watson gave in the radio in the years of 1900 to 1940.

I have the register of the titles, date and time of the lectures, but i'm struggling to find online communities that I could ask about possible recorded material of this period.

You guys have any tips of some foruns or subreddits I could ask about it? I hope to find some people that enjoy or study radio history and may have some audio records.

0 Comments
2021/10/06
17:51 UTC

4

The 'New Chronology' - when historiography and conspiracy theory combine

The 'New Chronology' of the 1980s proposed a crazy conspiracy theory about the way we study history - that nothing before AD800 really happened. That the archaeology and written history of the early medieval period was simply fiction. How did this ridiculous and demonstrably incorrect conspiracy theory emerge, and why is it still popular today?

https://www.anoxfordhistorian.com/post/the-new-chronology-the-world-s-craziest-conspiracy-theory?fbclid=IwAR2KikT4ueo-pxawz2DMGPeFKSKo47DXZBYd9TXcoW9FapT1uht-kPyUGd4

1 Comment
2021/09/21
17:44 UTC

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