Essays on the Marshallese Past European History

Historical research is necessary to provide that kind of information which allows us to understand and appreciate the cultural and historic resources in their context. While oral history presents the events from the view of a participant, historical research tries to collect all relevant data. It does so by collecting and carefully comparing archival documents, contemporary publications as well as autobiographies and oral history. As the example for Majuro Atoll shows, historical research can sometimes also be used to understand trends in population development, and thereby provides data relevant for the future management of cultural and historical resources.