EGMT 1520: Just the Facts?

Can evidence ever speak for itself? This course tracks the evolution of historical knowledge, from the moment a record is created to its afterlife in courtrooms, archives, and the public square. Through case studies spanning a wide range of time periods and cultural contexts, we will investigate how documents, objects, images, and other evidence used by historians are gathered and authenticated; how advances in technology can clarify—or complicate—what evidence seems to show; why rival narratives emerge even when sources are plentiful; and how gaps or silences in the historical record invite both wild mythmaking and careful scrutiny. Along the way, we will consider who controls the preservation of historical evidence, whose voices are amplified or lost, and how fresh discoveries or changing values can unsettle what once looked certain. The course approaches history as an empirical pursuit, but one animated by interpretation, debate, and continual revision.