Throughout this semester with the use of class discussion and evaluation of specific events of Canadian history I have been able to come to many conclusions about why and how we do history. It has become apparent to me that history is a constantly changing as people and society develop and documents surface and historians look deeper into historical events and people. In order to do history, we must analyze all perspectives and not simply base our assumptions off one or two sources. There must be time spent on analyzing documents in order to come to credible conclusions. In history, especially Canadian history, we must try to avoid generalizing people and events because there will always be variances.
Another major part of history is the focus on the importance of primary and secondary sources. Historians base almost all their research off their sources and therefore the awareness of the credibility and authenticity of the source has to be taken into account. For example, the majority of Canadian history is written by European settlers which means we must be aware of the biases that could be present when the documents refer to specific events.
As historical events influence our present and future, the lessons we learn in our present in facts affects our interpretations of the past. We must keep this along with the awareness of sources and the biases that may lay within them when we think critically. To do history is to think historically in the context that events change over time and that other interpretations may exist. With the use of primary and secondary sources you can come to informed conclusions on certain events but we must we aware that history is susceptible to change. The study of history is not black and white but more so a colourful ecosystem that flows and interacts as a whole.