The claim that history is not a fixed, objective record of "what happened," but a story continually built, edited, and contested in the present. The facts (dates, events) are raw material, but the narrative—who are the heroes and villains, what was the cause, what does it mean for us—is a construction that serves current power dynamics, national identity, and social values. History is politics projected backward.
Example: "My 1950s textbook said Columbus 'discovered' America, a story constructing European triumph. My nephew's textbook says he 'invaded,' a story constructing Indigenous resilience. The Theory of Constructed History says both use similar facts but build radically different pasts to shape how we see justice and identity in the present. The past isn't dead; it's a construction site."
by Abzu Land January 31, 2026
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