Introduction to History and Sources of Historical Information

What is history?

History is the study of past human activities and how they shape the present. The Kenyan Senior School CBC (KICD) History and Citizenship course also builds values like patriotism, responsibility and respect for diversity.

Why study history?

• Understand how we came to be who we are
• Learn from past successes and mistakes
• Develop national identity and unity
• Build skills in research, analysis and critical thinking
• Appreciate other cultures
• Prepare for careers like law, journalism, teaching and museum work

Branches of history

Political, economic, social, military and cultural history, among others. Related disciplines include geography, anthropology and archaeology.

Sources of historical information

1. Oral tradition Information passed from person to person by speaking: stories, songs, proverbs, riddles and genealogies. It is key in Kenyan communities.

• Advantages: covers non-literate societies, cheap, reveals culture.
• Limitations: distortion over time, no firm dates, bias, loss when elders die.

2. Written sources Books, diaries, letters, newspapers, government reports and inscriptions. Examples: Swahili chronicles and Arab writers on the East African coast; colonial records in the Kenya National Archives.

• Advantages: more permanent and often dated.
• Limitations: can be biased, and only the literate wrote them.

3. Archaeology Excavating and studying artefacts, fossils and structures. Examples in Kenya: fossils at Koobi Fora and the Nariokotome site, and ruins of Gedi and Fort Jesus on the coast.

• Limitations: expensive; remains may be damaged; interpretation needs expertise.

4. Linguistics The study of languages shows relationships and migrations. The Bantu languages show common origins of many Kenyan communities.

5. Anthropology, genetics and others These study cultures, human physical traits and DNA. Museums and photographs also help.

Primary and secondary sources

• Primary sources come from the time of the event (a diary, an eyewitness).
• Secondary sources are written later using primary sources (a textbook).

Handling sources critically

Ask: Who produced it? When? Why? Is it reliable? Compare several sources to reduce bias (this is called cross-checking or corroboration).

Worked example 1

Classify: a 1963 independence day photograph; a 2020 history textbook. Answer: The photograph is a primary source; the textbook is a secondary source.

Worked example 2

Which source would best tell us about the earliest humans in Kenya? Answer: Archaeology, because fossils and tools from sites like Lake Turkana give direct evidence.

Try it

• Interview an elder about a local historic event and note the limitations of the account.
• Name one museum or monument in your county and the source type it represents.
• Give three reasons why you study history.
• Compare one primary and one secondary source about the same event.