Mastering Historical Text Analysis and Commentary

Steps for Commenting on a Historical Text:

1. Reading and Comprehension

Read the text to understand its contents, looking for the meaning of any words not understood. It is necessary to read the text as often as required to fully comprehend it.

Then, underline the most important points and determine if the text can be divided into parts, clarifying any doubts through dictionaries, geographical and historical atlases, encyclopedias, etc.

2. Classification of the Text

This section involves identifying the following:

• Type of text: Legal (laws, treaties), literary (reports, newspaper articles), historiographical (a work of history), or historical and circumstantial (everything else).
• Space and time: Identify the country associated with the narrated event and the time period in which it developed (framing it as much as possible within a historical moment: Medieval Times, High Roman Empire, Renaissance, etc.).
• Author: State the author's name (if known) and relevant biographical facts.
• Recipient: Identify the intended audience: public, private, national, international, etc.

3. Analysis of the Text

Summarize the contents of the text briefly and clearly, indicating the fundamental and complementary ideas. For this, follow the order of the text or create a structure that is more logical. Complete this section with an explanation of the characters, institutions, and concepts that are essential for understanding the document.

4. Historical Commentary

Apply historical knowledge to the text, divided into three parts:

• Background: The events that led to the situation narrated in the text.
• Historical Context: The historical background surrounding what is said in the text.
• Consequences: Any outcomes resulting from the events described in the text.

5. Assessment and Textual Criticism

Once everything is understood, evaluate whether the text is objective or not (whether it reflects what actually happened or provides a partial and subjective view). Determine if the text is fundamental or accessory to understanding the historical period in which it was written.