History is not done just by historians. The best selling history author of US history for the last 2 generations was David McCullough. He was not a professional historian. Nor were Thucydides and Herodotus. Now this question about who is a historian was taken up in one of the most famous essays ever written about history which is Carl Becker's 1931 presidential address to the American Historical Association, "Everyman His Own Historian." I recommend everyman and everyperson read it. It still holds up today in the tension between professional historians and the people. It should be noted that the audience Becker was talking to was not all historians with doctorates. The profession was not as professionalized in 1931. I agree with your other points. Thank you for the talk.
Sorry I only just saw this. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I hoped this would provoke a response. Personally, I felt most uncomfortable at apparently excluding self-taught amateur historians. On balance I think the distinction is worth it pedagogîcally, as I want my students to understand and respect the profession. There are many popular historians who would apparently not make my cut, Barbara W. Tuchman was someone I thought of when writing the film. However, I would argue that McCullough, Tuchman and all the amateurs are real historians for two reasons which do not contradict my point. Firstly, they obey the rules of historical scholarship as established by the professional historical community and secondly, their work is recognised by that community as being history.
History is not done just by historians. The best selling history author of US history for the last 2 generations was David McCullough. He was not a professional historian. Nor were Thucydides and Herodotus. Now this question about who is a historian was taken up in one of the most famous essays ever written about history which is Carl Becker's 1931 presidential address to the American Historical Association, "Everyman His Own Historian." I recommend everyman and everyperson read it. It still holds up today in the tension between professional historians and the people. It should be noted that the audience Becker was talking to was not all historians with doctorates. The profession was not as professionalized in 1931.
I agree with your other points. Thank you for the talk.
Sorry I only just saw this. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I hoped this would provoke a response. Personally, I felt most uncomfortable at apparently excluding self-taught amateur historians. On balance I think the distinction is worth it pedagogîcally, as I want my students to understand and respect the profession. There are many popular historians who would apparently not make my cut, Barbara W. Tuchman was someone I thought of when writing the film. However, I would argue that McCullough, Tuchman and all the amateurs are real historians for two reasons which do not contradict my point. Firstly, they obey the rules of historical scholarship as established by the professional historical community and secondly, their work is recognised by that community as being history.