Keith Windschuttle: Historical Analysis

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synopsis (Included in word count) “The ability to stand outside your own political system and your own culture, to criticise your own society and to pursue the truth is something we today take so much for granted.” - Keith Windschuttle, 2010 The ways in which history is researched, perceived and recorded has changed dramatically over time to reflect the continuous historiographical problems associated with any attempt to uncover the ‘truth’ of the past. This essay will attempt to analyse and explore both sides central to the ‘History Wars’ and shed light on the problems of objectivity, prior political convictions, the role of the academic historian and the proper practice of scholarship…show more content…
Most other historians focused on the British perspective and what they did to the Indigenous population whilst Reynolds looked at what the Aboriginal reaction was to the strangers and colonisers in his history “The Other Side of the Frontier (1981)”. In the book, Reynolds concludes the numbers of how many Aboriginals (10,000) died during the colonial period; these numbers have come under fire by Keith Windschuttle in later years. Manning Clark also participated in this new wave of historical views with his multi-volume “The History of Australia” (1962-1987). This history was criticised repeatedly by the right wing historians as being pessimistic with the “theme of tragic grandeur.” After the “New Left” historians emerged in Australian history; the debate over genocide began. Geoffrey Blainey dubbed this generation of historians “the black school” because they followed the school of the “black-armed band” history (a term coined by Blainey). Blainey characterises this school as “largely the story of violence, exploitation, repression, racism, sexism, capitalism, colonialism and a few other ism.” This new school of thought impacted Australia’s school of history tremendously as scholars were now challenging people to reassess their thoughts on Australia’s past. This “black school” of historians then was a major driving force against conservative writers…show more content…
S. MacIntyre, The History Wars, Melbourne University Press, 2003, pg. 57 [ 16 ]. Geoffrey Blainey referenced through History in the Howard Era, Ann Curthoys essay for the Professional Historian’s Association, 19 July 2006. [ 17 ]. Lyndall Ryan referenced through The Use and Abuse of Sources in Aboriginal History, Keith Windschuttle at a History Teachers Lecture Association of Australia, National Conference, Sydney, October 3, 2007- found in Teaching History journal December 2007 Vol. 41 no. 4, pg. 2 [ 18 ]. Rhys Jones referenced through The Use and Abuse of Sources in Aboriginal History, Keith Windschuttle at a History Teachers Lecture Association of Australia, National Conference, Sydney, October 3, 2007- found in Teaching History journal December 2007 Vol. 41 no. 4, pg. 2 [ 19 ]. Keith WIndschuttle, The Use and Abuse of Sources in Aboriginal History, History Teachers Lecture Association of Australia, National Conference, Sydney, October 3, 2007- found in Teaching History journal December 2007 Vol. 41 no. 4, pg 1-3 [ 20 ]. Ibid, pg. 1 [ 21 ]. Keith Windschuttle referenced through Stuart MacIntyre, The History Wars Keynote Address at the History Teachers Association State Conference 2004, Journal of History Teacher’s Association of NSW, June 2004, Vol. 38 no. 2,
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