Analysis of the Book After the Fact - Essay Example

In most cases, interpretation of history depends on the expertise of the historian or the generation for which the history is interpreted. This essay focuses on the chapter on Virginia and it will try to figure out the flaws that the story brings to the surface. In addition, it will give an alternative that the historian could have used in finding the truth. The story tries to explain the historical moment of the Virginia colony in the seventeenth century. It uses the settlement in the area as evidence to support the truth about the state of affairs during that time.

The story relies on the written records of Captain John Smith. He was present at the time as well as other written past records to reveal issues of the historical moment. However, this process of obtaining evidence looks over vital aspects of history that could have produced another interpretation of the historical moment. For instance, the historian did not depend on the hardworking nature of the Virginians in interpreting Captain Smith’s account. Smith’s account focuses on firsthand information rather than a critical analysis of all systems in the society (Davidson, James and Mark 45).

Therefore, this approach does not reveal critical details of Virginia but rather the ones that one can see clearly with the naked eyes. Other members of the society who had passed through various political and historical exposures were the best sources of evidence rather than using Captain Smith. These Virginians would have given the historian a wide source and range of information for making informed decisions about the historical moment. The diversity of the Virginians at the time questions the reliability of using firsthand information to make decisions about the history of Virginians.

For instance, the Virginians established a new system of labor in the form of slavery, which is among the many aspects of history that are difficult to capture using the eyes (Davidson, James and Mark 75). The historian could have used research methods to dig out hidden information about the Virginians.