THE PURPOSE of this lesson is twofold: The first is to develop a concept of historical perspective. Our view of the past is a continually expanding and evolving one, in part because it is the tendency of all societies to judge past events through their own "contemporary" standards. While the present may stimulate avenues of investigation that are new, it is essential, nonetheless, that students understand that the past must be viewed on its own terms. The second objective is to develop an appreciation of what is necessary in order for evidence to be credible. Both the kind and the amount of material that is uncovered, as well as the choices that are made in the search, are important. Thus, for example, through alternative selections of data, a person, subject, or an event can be made to appear first one way and then another. There are dangers, accordingly, when interpreting history, in uncritically accepting evidence that is too limited or arbitrary in character.