How Historians Work

  I used to think that a historian's primary job was to memorize countless facts and give lectures.  My opinion has since changed after experiencing this class.  History schoolbooks do not relay the amount of detective work that goes into the construction of real history.  History does not simply "happen". It takes a dedicated person to piece together clues from sources such as artifacts and documents, all in an attempt to gain more information or insight to unravel mysteries of the past.   By reading, listening, or viewing events that have occured, historians gather factual information that has been recorded or retold.  They review the past while retelling the stories and events that are discovered.