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HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCEHistorical SignificanceThe past consists of everything that ever happened to everyone everywhere, but we cannot remember or learn it all. Consequently, at the core of the study of history are questions about what events and people from the past are important and why they are important. In other words, when considering historical significance we ask: What and who should be remembered, researched and taught? Historians, authors and educators must select what and whom to study, decide what details to include in their descriptions and determine how important these events and people are in relation to other aspects of the past.Historical significance considers which events, people, and developments from the past should be studied and remembered.Key attributes aspects of Historical SignificanceDeterminations of significance are unavoidableNecessity requires that every historical account leaves certain facts aside and selects others as more important. For example, a description of the internment of enemy aliens in Canada during World War I provides only basic information because it is limited by space. Historians, textbooks writers, and teachers are constantly making choices about which events to include and to what level of depth they want to pursue them.Significance depends on the purpose of the inquiryThe significance of an event depends on its role in a larger story a historian is attempting to tell. For example, a historian writing a history of women in Canada might not regard the internment during World War I as significant as the Persons Case which allowed women to become senators in Parliament. Thus, we cannot determine the historical significance of an event without knowing the historical inquiry being pursued.Significance is not simply a matter of personal reactionIt is not sufficient when determining significance to rely on the reactions that an individual or group feels in response to an event. For example, it would be inadequate to claim the internment of Japanese in Canada during World War II is not significant because you do not know anyone who was affected by it. Significance varies with individuals and group perspectivesWhat will be judged to be significant may vary depending on an individual’s or group’s perspective. For examples, the internment of Japanese in Canada during World War II will be more significant to the Japanese-Canadian community than to other ethnic groups in Canada. Furthermore, different historical events have different scales of significance from regional, national or international. Significance varies with timeThe significance of an event may not be fixed in time but may change depending on subsequent events and current priorities. For example, although the first comprehensive history of the Japanese internment in Canada during World War II was written in 1948, it was not until the 1970s-1980s that more historians focused on the Japanese-Canadian internment and it became an important topic in Canadian history. Criteria for Historical SignificanceProminence at the timeTo what extent was the event, person or development recognized as important at the time?Example: The terrorist attack in September 2001 on the World Trade Centre in New York was seen as enormously significant at the time they occurred and the immediate aftermath.Consequences/ImpactTo what extent did the event, person or development have deep consequences (magnitude, scope, duration) over a long period of time?Example: The invasion of Normandy, France (D-Day) in June 1944 had an important impact on the outcome of WW II and on Canada’s international standing. It affected all the soldiers who were there, and in the long run it affected many civilians across Europe and North America. These effects were felt for decades after the Nazi regime was defeated.RevealingTo what extent does the event, person, or development provide a window on or represent a larger issue?Example: Many lessons emerged from WW II. For example, although Anne Frank lived through extraordinary times, she was unknown when she died in a concentration camp. However, she has come to be considered significant because her diary, offers a revealing insight into the Jewish experience of living in Nazi-occupied Europe during WW II.Source: Teaching Historical Thinking – Revised and expanded edition ................
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