Historical Method and Types of History
All historical works are formulated based on at least one historical method and most historians specialize in the type of history that he or she feels is the driving force behind historical change.
The many types of history include among others:
Political History
Economic History
Labor History
Constitutional/Legal History
Social History
Religious History
Military History
Diplomatic History
Women’s History
African-American History
Immigration History
Intellectual History
Cultural History
Most historians do not limit their work to one type of history only. Many works might be described as social/religious history or women’s political history.
Historians also rely on two different methods of analysis in their interpretation of historical documentation:
Qualitative — the interpretation and analysis of texts to understand history
Quantitative — the use of social science methodology and quantification to understand history
All historical works can be classified according to some combination of these categories.
