Sources of History and Historiography

Historiography is defined as the study of historical writing. It focuses on how and why historical accounts and perspectives have evolved over time.
Historiographical perspectives vary significantly by era and context. For instance, historiography during the Spanish colonial period reflected the perspective of the Spaniards, whereas contemporary historiography in the Philippines focuses on creating and presenting a local perspective.
Evidence is the most critical requirement for historians. To record an event, there must be tangible proof that it occurred.
Historical events are created by the public. However, not every act performed by people is categorized as a historical event. To be considered historical, an act must be significant and have a measurable impact on a large group of people or the nation as a whole.
The specific role of the historian involves several key steps:
- Selecting gathered evidence.
- Analyzing the relevance and authenticity of that evidence.
- Organizing the data into a coherent structure.
- Writing the final historical account based on the gathered information.

History is frequently defined as a written record of the past. This definition is largely a Western construct imposed by powerful global entities.
The term "prehistory" is used by Westerners to describe any period or significant event that was not documented in writing. This view often marginalizes non-written traditions.
Early examples of written records used by historians include ancient writing systems such as cuneiform and hieroglyphs.
The Spanish colonial perspective claims that Philippine history only began in $1565$ , the year Miguel Lopez de Legazpi formally colonized the islands. This claim is often viewed as an attempt to justify colonialism by implying the islands had no prior history or civilization.
Colonialism was driven by the "Three Gs":
- God: The goal to Christianize the population to gain support from the Pope in Rome.
- Gold: Economic gain and resources.
- Glory: The expansion of national prestige.
The "White Man's Burden" was a concept originated by Rudyard Kipling in the late $19^{th}$ century. It suggested that white people had a spiritual duty to bring civilization to other races, which were viewed as having lower cultures. These races included:
- The Yellow race (Chinese, Japanese, Mongolians).
- The Brown race (Malays, including Filipinos).
- The Black race (Africans).
- The Red race (American Indians).

Edward b Tyler, an anthropologist, proposed the Classical Theory of Cultural Evolution in his book Primitive Culture.
The theory identifies three distinct stages of cultural development for mankind:
- Savagery
- Barbarism
- Civilization
Under this framework, native Philippine religions like Anituism (animatism or polytheism) were categorized as evidence of savagery or barbarism by Edward Taylor or Tyler, providing a theoretical justification for Spanish and American intervention to "change" or "better" the local population.

Non-written sources include:
- Oral traditions (information passed by word of mouth).
- Legends (which serve as records of cultural history).
- Fossils.
- Artifacts (man-made objects).
Documentary (Written) sources include:
- Early newspapers such as La Solidaridad.
- Historical books, such as Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas by Antonio de Morga, which detailed local culture and was later annotated by Jose Rizal.
- Architectural plans and maps of Manila from both the Spanish and American colonial periods.
- Paintings, such as an $1847$ painting showing Filipinos using chopsticks at a Chinese food stall, which provides insight into cultural history and Japanese or Chinese ancestral influences.

Archaeological records consist of preserved remains of humans, their activities, and the environment.
Kaliau Cave in Penya Blang, Kakagayan is a primary active archaeological site. Findings there include:
- Fossils: Butchered remains of a rhinoceros, suggesting ancestors were hunters and gatherers.
- Teeth fragments: Used to study the diet and physical traits of ancestors.
Significant artifacts in the Philippines include:
- The Manongul jar: Discovered in Palawan, it provides evidence of early burial systems, belief systems, and worldviews.
- The Laguna copper plate inscription: This is the earliest known written document in the Philippines. It records a debt and credit transaction rather than political history, confirming the existence of advanced record-keeping and a writing system.

Modern historical sources include video and audio recordings made possible by the invention of cameras and recording devices in the $19^{th}$ and $20^{th}$ centuries.
Examples of modern sources:
- Video files of the first EDSA revolution in February $1986$ , often used during the anniversary on the $25^{th}$ .
- The "Hello, Garci" scandal recording involving former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo regarding election turnouts.
For modern historians, the influx of information can be overwhelming, but it provides a detailed record of actors and voices involved in significant events compared to the Hispanic period.

Topic Inquiry: If students have questions regarding the sources of history, additional information to share, or historical sources that were not mentioned, they are encouraged to post them in the designated FB group or the group chat for further discussion.