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WHAT IS ORAL HISTORY? Oral History is history that is told verbally – not written down. It’s THE most traditional way of retelling and learning history. The first oral historians were people who sat around an evening fire and told of their experiences and those of their ancestors as far back as they could remember. It was the only way to pass down and preserve the culture and the traditions of a group. Many civilizations gave high status to the best of their oral historians. In Celtic society, for example, this person was called a Bard and was given the task of creating epic sagas of the tribe’s daring deeds – cattle raids, battles, and other heroic doings that would then be recited at feasts and gatherings. In this way history was passed on and, in many instances, legends began. All of this occurred before there was such a thing as writing. Many of the earliest histories – the Bible, "La Morte d’Arthur", "The Book of Kells" are written collections of these earlier oral histories. But even today – when we have books, newspapers, photographs, and other printed records of our civilization – oral history remains an important way to collect history. We need to remember what history is. History is not only to be found in documents, letters or textbooks, but also in the memory of people who witnessed or lived through events. It’s not just a collection process – it’s also a theory of history which maintains that the common folk and the dispossessed have a history as well as those who are famous enough to get their names written down. It’s been said that the history that makes it into history books is the story of the "conquerors" – the people in power. They tend to suppress the stories of those they consider powerless. Thus, until about the 1970s or 1980s there were few accounts about the lives of slaves or women in most textbooks. There still is very little. How much is in your textbook about women’s suffrage? Probably only a page or two. Yet it took American women 75 years to get the right to vote. Oral histories – people’s life stories – offer us a glimpse into their lives, work, families, and communities. Through them we get not just the outlines of history but the colors. Listen to this story about making a wagon wheel. You'll hear rich details in the storyteller's lively style of speaking and the colorful words that he has chosen. If we collect enough stories we can begin to see trends -- common themes that pop up in many stories and we can see what is important to people. That’s where students like you come in. You are the perfect oral historians for your community. You grew up here. You know – and are probably related to – many of the people who have these stories. And, because of these community connections, these older people will be happy to tell their stories to you. |
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| What Is Oral History? | Why
Use Oral History? | Lesson Plans | Radio
Series | Preparing for the Interview
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