Something I learned in the History 1120 course is that when looking at a source, it is important to discuss it with different people. In the seminars in this class I discovered by talking to my different group members, that they would sometimes have interpreted the sources differently than I had.This meant that we then had to discuss our interpretations and try and figure out which was the most likely and logical. The importance of this is that it makes sure that we completely understand the events of the past. If we were to only rely on what we thought the sources said, then we would be open to getting the past wrong. With multiple different people trying to interpret the meaning behind the sources, we are able to discern what is the truth, and what is projected by our own view points. We are able to put aside our own biases to find the truth.
When we look into the past, we need to be aware of any errors in our thinking or in the way that we research, and learn about the past. It is so important that we give the most accurate description of what happened in the past so we can understand and learn from them. If we aren’t careful, we can easily insert our own biases into our interpretations, and skew the true meaning behind the sources we have. To “do” history, we must look into the past with a fine toothed comb, and present the most accurate truths.