How factual is history..

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
96
48
USA
Like the downfall of the USSR: some claim that Reagan did it, by asking someone to tear down the wall; oddly enough, al Qaeda believes they did it by fighting so long and hard in Afghanistan.

Al Queda actually believes they even fought the Soviets in the Afghan War?
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
43
48
Red Deer AB
Those were the grandsons, they inherited some caves that 'somebody' filled with 'stuff' even the military shouldn't have. Be damn glad the don't have NK subs.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
How factual is history we read about today as compared to what was really written. Chat about anything historical that may interest you.

History has been rewritten and changed so many times that no one really knows what happened more than a couple hundred years ago. Foe example today one learns that the American Civil War was over slavery. The war really over economics and the coming of the "Machine Age", slavery only was another excuse that got a segment of the population to get involved who probably would not have supported it otherwise. Another little tidbit. President Lincoln though he did not support slavery would never have gone to war over it. Today all we hear about is how slavery caused the war.

I'd say the more recent the more factual.

History is his story....he who won.

More reliable than herstory do you think? :smile:
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
43
48
Red Deer AB
I'd say the more recent the more factual.
Collectively we know more about the Great Depression than the ones who lived it.

Any of you people actually know anything about modern historical scholarship?
Isn't that what the OP is about? Are the books cooked or not? I take it to mean intentionally and unintentionally.

Peer review would be about thew same as the middle ages, ... minus the beheading..... in some locations.
 

Bar Sinister

Executive Branch Member
Jan 17, 2010
8,252
19
38
Edmonton
The term slavery was used to admit or deny state hood to the territories, but was not a key issue for actually going to war, I am not saying it wasen't one of many reasons for the war, just not that important at the time. When Shelby wrote his fine book, it was slanted to the politics of the mid 1950's and descrimination was waking up in this country. Emphisis on the cause of the war began to surround slavery. I read his book back when I was 17-18 or so.


I think we may have to agree to disagree over this point. However, I am going to refer you to this Wikipedia article about the US Civil War. Please note the section devoted to the causes of secession and the war lists eight main causes. Five of them mention slavery as a major cause of division between the Union and Confederate states.

American Civil War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Any of you people actually know anything about modern historical scholarship?

I think a few of us have shown that we do.
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
193
63
Nakusp, BC
That's because there's more of us collectively. :smile:
We may have a lot of data on what happened but cannot actually "know" something we have not experienced. Knowing about something does not mean we know how it felt, the emotional and psychological implications.
 

Dexter Sinister

Unspecified Specialist
Oct 1, 2004
10,168
539
113
Regina, SK
I think a few of us have shown that we do.
A few, yes, but those trying to argue some version of the claim that history is essentially made up by whoever happens to be on top have shown that they don't. The comparison a few posts back between historical scholarship and a story being passed around at a party, for instance, is without merit.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
43
48
Red Deer AB
That's because there's more of us collectively. :smile:
The one lemming that decided to 'jump' did not make a decision that benefits the rest of the 'tribe'. It works great if you are a soldier ant.

What caused the conflict, God coming around and doing something to put the train back on tracks again. the flooed did the same thing essentially. That 'work' has needed not one update for 2,000 years. Yes Gentile Scribes are equally talented and if you use anything but the KJV1611 Edition the 'story' wont fit as good. That salvation exists can't be changed no matter how many changes are made, all the little aspects of prophecy can though. Make one item a standard and many of the 'versions' could not be promoted as 'being the way the words were originally 'said'. There are a lot of words to 'absorb', any complex subject requires study before all the pieces fit.

The closer a person is to reading something that is in 'plain language' the greater the chance that he can gain a lot rather that something that made overly complicated or includes intentional deceptions
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
193
63
Nakusp, BC
The one lemming that decided to 'jump' did not make a decision that benefits the rest of the 'tribe'. It works great if you are a soldier ant.

What caused the conflict, God coming around and doing something to put the train back on tracks again. the flooed did the same thing essentially. That 'work' has needed not one update for 2,000 years. Yes Gentile Scribes are equally talented and if you use anything but the KJV1611 Edition the 'story' wont fit as good. That salvation exists can't be changed no matter how many changes are made, all the little aspects of prophecy can though. Make one item a standard and many of the 'versions' could not be promoted as 'being the way the words were originally 'said'. There are a lot of words to 'absorb', any complex subject requires study before all the pieces fit.

The closer a person is to reading something that is in 'plain language' the greater the chance that he can gain a lot rather that something that made overly complicated or includes intentional deceptions
The lower half of this post makes more sense than the upper half.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
43
48
Red Deer AB
The one lemming that decided to 'jump' did not make a decision that benefits the rest of the 'tribe'. It works great if you are a soldier ant.

What caused the conflict, God coming around and doing something to put the train back on tracks again. the flooed did the same thing essentially. That 'work' has needed not one update for 2,000 years. Yes Gentile Scribes are equally talented and if you use anything but the KJV1611 Edition the 'story' wont fit as good. That salvation exists can't be changed no matter how many changes are made, all the little aspects of prophecy can though. Make one item a standard and many of the 'versions' could not be promoted as 'being the way the words were originally 'said'. There are a lot of words to 'absorb', any complex subject requires study before all the pieces fit.

The closer a person is to reading something that is in 'plain language' the greater the chance that he can gain a lot rather that something that made overly complicated or includes intentional deceptions
http://forums.canadiancontent.net/data:image/gif,GIF89a%12%00%12%00%B3%00%00%FF%FF%FF%F7%F7%EF%CC%CC%CC%BD%BE%BD%99%99%99ZYZRUR%00%00%00%FE%01%02%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%00%21%F9%04%04%14%00%FF%00%2C%00%00%00%00%12%00%12%00%00%04X0%C8I%2B%1D8%EB%3D%E4%00%60%28%8A%85%17%0AG*%8C%40%19%7C%00J%08%C4%B1%92%26z%C76%FE%02%07%C2%89v%F0%7Dz%C3b%C8u%14%82V5%23o%A7%13%19L%BCY-%25%7D%A6l%DF%D0%F5%C7%02%85%5B%D82%90%CBT%87%D8i7%88Y%A8%DB%EFx%8B%DE%12%01%00%3B
WTF I no idea what happened there, that is clearer than the top is it? Go ahead explain it then, I think you are lying. (and don't even realize it)
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
A few, yes, but those trying to argue some version of the claim that history is essentially made up by whoever happens to be on top have shown that they don't. The comparison a few posts back between historical scholarship and a story being passed around at a party, for instance, is without merit.
But Dex, real history isn't pretty, can be dry and boring, and is most definitely time consuming to go through.

So 30sec sound bites, riveting docudramas, Op/Ed pieces and conspiracies, are far more fun to adhere to.
 

cranky

Time Out
Apr 17, 2011
1,312
0
36
Rockafeller is noted for being a philanthropist , yet he was the mastermind behind the Ludlow massacre where company paid militia walked into a tent city of striking workers, in the aftermath they found the remains of women and children burned to death.

When Rockafeller realized he could no longer protect his profits through massacres alone, he was one of the first companies to create a bogus union that was really run and controled by the company. His union president was no other than William Lyon Makenzie King, another guy that is now in the history books as being a really good guy.

Also, you know who Rockafeller Jr's Public relations guy was? it was a guy that was very successful for years at making hitler sound like a great guy.

how about the Louis Riel story? ever notice how the Railroad's involvement and strong arm tactics are greatly understated through most story books? They were the pricks that instigated the whole situation yet somehow they aren't part of the record.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
30,509
11,211
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
I've been to Cuba a couple of times now. The Cuban version of History, with respect to
events surrounding the American/Cuban embargo, Guantánamo Bay, Fidel Castro and
the many-many assassination attempts on his life, etc...sure has a different spin than
what one might learn in an American classroom, I'm assuming.

Same conflict, but different perspectives, with emphasis on different happenings, making
it sound like two very different versions of history.
 

cranky

Time Out
Apr 17, 2011
1,312
0
36
I've been to Cuba a couple of times now. The Cuban version of History, with respect to
events surrounding the American/Cuban embargo, Guantánamo Bay, Fidel Castro and
the many-many assassination attempts on his life, etc...sure has a different spin than
what one might learn in an American classroom, I'm assuming.

Same conflict, but different perspectives, with emphasis on different happenings, making
it sound like two very different versions of history.

so that really is a cigar in your pocket? :)
 

Dexter Sinister

Unspecified Specialist
Oct 1, 2004
10,168
539
113
Regina, SK
...yet somehow they aren't part of the record.
They must be, somewhere, or you wouldn't know about them. And that's the major point about historical scholarship. History is a developing story much like science is, it changes as new evidence comes to light, new tools are developed, new insights appear, new personalities with different interests join the field, and so on. And just like science, it'll never be complete, but it has similar methods of self-correction, and to that degree can legitimately be called a science itself. So to answer the question posed in the thread title, history is as factual as historians can make it and they're constantly working to improve it.
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario
I've been to Cuba a couple of times now. The Cuban version of History, with respect to
events surrounding the American/Cuban embargo, Guantánamo Bay, Fidel Castro and
the many-many assassination attempts on his life, etc...sure has a different spin than
what one might learn in an American classroom, I'm assuming.

Same conflict, but different perspectives, with emphasis on different happenings, making
it sound like two very different versions of history.
That's why you have to avoid getting your history from one source, or perspective.

I have a perfect example.

In Ontario history classes, throughout all grades, Sainte Marie Amongst the Hurons, is the site at which the peaceful, hunter gathers of the Huron (Wendat), were viciously slaughtered by the aggressive savage Iroquois, for nothing more than lands and beaver pelts.

It doesn't matter that, there was rampant disease wherever the Blackrobes went. This of course would be a bad sign to a group of people who were unfamiliar with these diseases.

It doesn't matter that these peaceful hunter gatherers, were among the first to scalp enemies for cash from the French.

What matters is, the Blackrobes Brebeuf, Chabanel, Lalande, Garnier, Goupil, Lallemant, were martyred, Canonized and the place is now a shrine to mangled history and the assault on Native culture.

They must be, somewhere, or you wouldn't know about them. And that's the major point about historical scholarship. History is a developing story much like science is, it changes as new evidence comes to light, new tools are developed, new insights appear, new personalities with different interests join the field, and so on. And just like science, it'll never be complete, but it has similar methods of self-correction, and to that degree can legitimately be called a science itself. So to answer the question posed in the thread title, history is as factual as historians can make it and they're constantly working to improve it.
The problem lies, in the fact that people don't know how to identify a real history, from a hack with an agenda.