Bias? What Bias?? We Report, You Decide - Friday, September 11

On Friday's class, I introduced the topic of historical bias. Ideally, the historian and the journalist have much the same code; only the journalist deals with the here and now and the historian deals with the past. This professional code requires that the writer must do their best to keep their personal attitudes and feelings separate from the matter they are covering. This is a wonderful ideal, but in practicality, no one can completely separate themselves and what they believe to be true and real from the way in which they account for, discuss, and analyse historical subjects.



So as such, I will be asking you to be careful when reading material and always assume a bias exists. Conversely, when I ask you to do the work of the historian, I expect that you will attempt to minimize your own bias as much as you can. More on this as we go on in the course...



Our discussion on this topic was advanced using the American Civil War as the backdrop.



I began by asking you to draw a general conclusion about the war. The class came to a consensus that the Civil War brought about the end of slavery. Based on this statement I asked if it followed logically then that the original aim of the war was to end slavery. The class agreed.

Now I am asking you to challenge that assumption... Be it resolved that the original aim of the war was NOT to end slavery. Agree or disagree.

Your homework is to read Lincoln's first inaugural and decide whether or not there is any evidence to settle the matter. In other words, did Abraham Lincoln think that his election as president gave him a mandate to end slavery?

Be prepared to discuss this in class on Monday.


As well.... I also want you to read the story of claimed historical bias at the site of the Alamo.


http://www.statesman.com/specialreports/content/specialreports/forgottenplaces/15alamo_rs.html

What is the author's thesis? Do they reveal a bias of their own? What are some of the ways we can test for bias? Be prepared to discuss these issues briefly in class on Monday, September 14 as well.