Excerpted and updated from my book History Lab To Go! published in 2002 by the ever-so-forward-thinking Washington State Historical Society.
What are the Tools of the History Trade? In short, the “Tools” are sources of historical evidence. Each artifact, image, map, book or periodical, personal account, recording and ephemeral item is a piece to the puzzle that is the past. Learning to use these puzzle pieces and to find the relationships among them is the essence of historical inquiry.
The first four tools are:
Artifacts—Three-dimensional objects made or used by humans. They can be handmade or manufactured, representative of a place, a people, or a particular industry. Works of art can be considered artifacts, especially objects that blend art, craft, culture, and function. Pottery, basketry, textiles, and funerary sculpture are all great examples of artifacts as art.
Ephemera—Printed items, usually made of paper, that are only used for a short period of time. Concert posters, movie tickets, ferry schedules, catalogs, brochures, and even junk mail are all considered ephemera.
Images—Drawings, paintings, and photographs. Images provide visual insight to past events. When using images as historical evidence, one must evaluate the artist’s intent, cultural and educational background, personal beliefs, and medium. Prior to the invention of photography, drawings and paintings provided the only visual record of past events. Today, photography is the most popular choice for recording events as they happen.
Maps—An important means of evaluating change over time of places across the globe. Maps reflect human knowledge of a place—its resources and characteristics as they have been known in different time periods. Maps come in many forms—political boundary maps, aeronautical charts, and topographical maps are a few examples. The kinds of maps used and developed in different time periods and places can provide clues to determining the trends, technologies, and beliefs among people of the past.
That’s it for now…Watch for another exciting episode of “Tools and Concepts” coming soon. In Part II we’ll explore the jumble of People, Books & Periodicals, and Electronic Media that make up the final three Tools of the History Trade.
