Tuesday, January 16, 2018

A Brief Prelude

As the foremost expert on the history of Summerwind Manson, I would like to express that while I am greatly honored, that title has come with a price. Many, many countless hours has gone in to the research and compiling of the information, as I have found more forks in the road than dead ends. However, reading and memorizing alone does not make one an expert. To understand the role of an historian, we must consider many things.

The Casual Historian has a very informative post that goes farther into detail that you can read here. This post will serve only to highlight key elements taken from that.



To be an “objective historian,” you must meet the following qualifications:


The Historian must treat sources with the appropriate reservations

The Historian must not dismiss counter-evidence without scholarly consideration

The Historian must be even-handed in treatment of evidence and eschew “cherry-picking”

The Historian must clearly indicate any speculation

The Historian must not mistranslate documents, or mislead by omitting parts of documents

The Historian must weigh the authenticity of all accounts, not merely those that contradict a favored view

The Historian must take the motives of historical actors into consideration



Can a Historian be self-taught?


"Should historians be formally trained, or must they be self-taught? This must be answered. A large number of people who are currently recognized as historians would no longer be so. The earliest known historians such as Herodotus, Bede, and Ibn Khaldun, were all self-taught. It wasn’t until the 19th century that history truly became its own subject. Edward Gibbon, the author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was self-taught but is often referred to as the first modern historian. More recent historians such as David McCullough, David Barton, and Ron Chernow are also self-taught. If we are to exclude self-taught people from the definition of “historian”, we are going to be removing a large portion of the western canon of history."


While it is true that I do not have a Degree in History, I am a Certified Paralegal. Paralegals have extensive training in research and are also trained to fact check all information to verify that the original source is creditable. I just happen to be a Paralegal with a passion for Historical Research. With a legal minded approach, you find yourself not just accepting what others tell you or what you read. It forces you to dig a little deeper for the truth. I encourage each and everyone of you to do a little digging on your own. I will include links to all my sources but i urge you to not blindly accept my words as truth. Do your own research and decide for yourself what the truth really is.

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