Historical+Resources

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 * Historical Resources **

Students are encouraged to add any Historical information on this page

** Introduction **
 * Source: Caribbean history for CSEC, Kevin Baldeosingh and Radica Mahase **


 * WHAT IS HISTORY?**

History i media type="custom" key="10335008" align="left" s the study of past events and people. It is the recording and writing of past events relating, for example, to people, country and period. It is usually studied and written in chronological order. It is poss ible to write a history of almost anything — the history of a country, ethnic group, school, sports club and so on.

If the only subject you ever studied was history, and if you did so thoroughly, you would become knowledgeable about many other subjects, such as psychology, sociology, economics, politics, literature and even some mathematics.

media type="custom" key="10335054" align="left"This is because history is not only about events. **It is also about how human beings behave and think**. Why do we act in the way that we do? What circumstances can make some people heroes and other people villains? Do heroes and villains really exist, or is it their time and their place which create them?

These are questions which history helps to shed light on. How has history made me the kind of person I am today? The first event in your personal history was your birth. Before that, there was the history of your parents and your grandparents, as well as all the other people who may have influenced them. However, human beings all live in some kind of society. The kind of society we live in influences the kind of people we are and it is history which shapes the kind of society we have.

You can see this in common products around you. For example, the sugar in soft drinks, or the beans in coffee, or the cotton in your shirts have played an important role in Caribbean history. It was the demand for sugar in Europe which led to the trade in enslaved Africans and, later, to the coming of indentured laborers from India and other continents. Cotton and coffee also played similar roles.

So when you understand that history, you will understand why your ancestors came here. Understanding that, in turn, helps you understand why our society is the way it is, with all its advantages and its shortcomings.

The Caribbean has had a turbulent history. The first islanders settled here 7,000 years ago, and lived a typical hunter-gatherer existence until the Europeans arrived in 1492. Then, for 400 years, this region was considered one of the wealthiest in the world. In that period, the European nations colonized and fought over the islands. New crops were introduced, and new peoples brought here. So our history in the past four centuries is also a history of the Western world.

**How is the study of Caribbean history important to us?**

o It helps us to understand how the Caribbean evolved to the point it is at today.

o It teaches us about past events which took place in the Caribbean.

o It gives us a sense of belonging - knowing we came from.

o It helps us to understand and appreciate the different ethnic and religious groups which be found throughout the Caribbean countries.

o It gives explanations for the similarities and differences between people of different Caribbean countries.

**What skills can we learn from studying history?**

o We can learn to think critically. When we study history we are forced to look in more detail at events and ideas to see what really happened not just look at the surface.

O We learn to analyze different events and ideas and then make intelligent conclusions based on these. We can then give informed opinions on topics from the past, as well as the present time.

O Studying history gives us an opportunity to learn how to process information and how to use our minds to think objectively.

o It sharpens our skills in understanding why people think and act the way they do, thereby making it easier for us to communicate with people.


 * A guide for CSEC students **

How can I pass my examination?

A student who wants to be successful in the CSEC® history examination has to focus on these three things.

1 Writing a well-researched School-Based Assessment (SBA). See Chapter 10 for a step-by-step guide to writing SBAs.

2 Studying all of the core topics. This is important as Paper 1, which is a multiple-choice examination paper, covers the entire syllabus that is, all the core topics.

3 Studying, in detail, at least three themes, one from each section, as outlined on the contents page of this book.

What does the examination consist of?

The final examination is broken down as follows.

o Paper 1 consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. Students are required to answer all questions in this paper.

o Paper 2 has one question on each theme. Students are required to answer one question from each section. This means that for Paper 2 students have to answer three questions in total.

The examination paper contains a combination of questions which require short answer responses and questions which have to be answered as an essay.

Short answer questions

o Make sure that each section is numbered properly. For example, each short answer question comes in sections (a), (b), (c) or numbers (i), (ii) or (iii). You must make sure that you answer the questions according to the section, otherwise you will lose marks.

o Answer your questions according to the number of marks given for each part of the question. Each section might be allocated a different amount of marks. For example you might get a question where part (a) is worth 2 marks, part (b) is worth 5 marks and part (c) is worth 10 marks. It is important to write your response in relation to the number of marks. For example, your answer to part (a) will be much shorter than your answer to part (b) and because part (c) is worth 10 marks, your answer to this part will have much more detail than your answers for parts (a) and (b).

o Do not repeat your answers for the different parts. Although the questions may seem the same, each part is actually asking you either for new information or to expand on points which you gave before. Therefore, make sure that your answer to each part is different.

Essays

o Each essay must be well planned, and written so that the examiner can understand your points.

o Essays must be argumentative rather than narrative.

o You have to get your points across in a simple, to-the-point manner.




 * For any aspiring Historian Basic Historical Jitsu must be learned in order to fully understand the various Historical topics that are listed on the CSEC Syllabus. Caribbean history can have a starting point with our native peoples and ending with Social life topics eg. Education, Religion, etc.**


 * A basic understanding of some European History is imperative as ultimately this region will become colonies of Europe. I this section we will analyse why and how Europeans came to the Caribbean, Hece for CSEC and CAPE students with will refer to Section A in your examinations.**


 * HISTORY SYLLABI **

**CSEC CARIBBEAN HISTORY SYLLABI** **(FORM 5/4)**

** HISTORY SAMPLES **


 * **HISTORY SBA SAMPLE**
 * **HISTORY I.A. SAMPLE**


 * CAPE **
 * Age of Enlightenment: John Locke: http://www.constitution.org/jl/2ndtreat.htm
 * Capitalism and Slavery: Eric Williams,Analysis Dexnel Peters (Kaizer)

** CSEC **


 * Age of exploration
 * European Rivalry in the Caribbean


 * BOOKS **



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