What is a Historical Fact? The Complex Truth About Presenting History.
When reading a history book, people are presented with history and historical facts. However, is there such a thing as a truly objective historical fact? At first glance, a sentence describing an artillery gun’s specifications seems purely factual. But upon closer inspection, even this simple statement is influenced by the societies, history, and cultures that created it. A historical fact is never just a historical fact, it’s a cultural construct that says something about the historical past. A cultural construct refers to the way in which societies shape and define concept. Let’s explore this concept by analyzing two seemingly straightforward statements about antitank guns from World War II!