How to be a history explorer.

Some Black history is hard to find. We have to find it! When we have limited sources we can be an explorer!

Primary Evidence

History detectives use lots of sources to make their interpretation.

When you have only one source, keep going! You are going to analyse that source deeply.

Now you have searched the source in detail. What questions come to you? Good ones start with - Who, What, Where, When, How and Why

Don't worry about there not being other direct sources. Ask that question!

Use other information, even if it is not directly linked to your source.

For example;

If you want to know more about a person's job - if you can't research the person, research that job.
Where a person lived - look at maps, other sources about that area.
Look to other areas - These may be literature, film, pictures, music.

You are starting to get some answers. You are starting to build your picture. Great!

Now stop. We are historians. Make sure your explorations have not gone into unconnected areas.

If your explorations answer your question, add to what you know and can be verified, let's keep them.

If not. drop them and keep exploring!

Historian Tiya Miles calls these conclusions 'Informed Imaginings'.

You may think of them as educated speculation. This is more than a guess as you have based your Informed Imagining on lots of evidence.

You know that history is never finished.

So now, keep seeking evidence, keep challenging your informed imaginings.

You can move to another area if you want. But keep exploring!