5 Examples of Recount Text in Historical Events with Generic Structure

This article is about recount text definition and the recount text example, especially about historical event. Recount text is a text which retells events or experiences in the past. The characteristic of recount text is similar to news item text and narrative text which are composed in the past tenses mode.

There are three kinds of recount text. They are about personal experiences, biographies, and historical events.  The social function recount text is to show what happened. It is to retell events for the purpose of informing and entertaining readers. Because of retelling the past events, language features of recount text is mostly written in past tenses which cover simple past tense, past continuous tense, and past perfect tense.

The recount text in the historical moments are taken through three elements of introduction, elaboration and conclusion. In the recount text historical event, the element are known as orientation, series of event, an reiteration. The reiteration is actually optional in all examples of recount text about history.

 

1.  Recount text in History about Reformation of Indonesia

Here is another example of writing a recount text should be based on the true story. Because this topic happened in the past, then the paragraph structure should be composed in past tenses. which can be simple past tense, past continuous tense, or past perfect tense.

Reformation of Indonesia
For more than 30 years, Indonesia was governed by Suharto as the president after the era of President Soekarno. As the people started to feel injustice, several cracks emerged that shake politic condition. Political tensions in the capital city increased by the numerous riots occurred in several cities and violent ethnic clashes.
The government became unstable and struggled as monetary crisis hit Asia in the second half of 1997. Indonesia was one of the suffered most. Prices rose massively and many businesses went bankrupts. As the economy fall down, people got angry and protests occurred everywhere. The protests became bigger and riots started in many parts of Indonesia.
During the monetary crisis, Suharto could maintain his position as president when he was re-elected on March 1998. However, Suharto did not do anything that could help the economy. As the government seemed helpless in bringing the economy back, people demanded President Suharto to step down.
Demonstrations were held everywhere and it became the peak with Trisakti incident on 12 May 1998. Four students were shot out to death when demonstrating at Trisakti University at Jakarta and 9 students were killed at Semanggi. The incident leaded huge riots in Jakarta and various cities all over Indonesia.
Finally, Suharto was pushed to step down and reformation era begun in Indonesia.

Analysis on the Generic Structure
All recount texts should be arranged based on three elements. They are:
1. Orientation: The people started to feel injustice, several cracks emerged that shake politic condition
2. Series of events:

• The government became unstable and struggled as monetary crisis
• The government seemed helpless in bringing the economy back
• Demonstrations were held everywhere and it became the peak with Trisakti incident

3. Reorientation:  The president was pushed to step down and reformation era begun in Indonesia

2.  Recount Text in Historical Event about The Youth Pledge

Besides personal experiences and short biography of famous person, the topic of recount text can be a historical event. Here we get an example recount text about one of historical events in Indonesia. It is about the heroic Youth Pledge. How can a history note be labelled as recount text? What is the reason behind it? Learn the following historical note on the Youth Pledge and you will understand well about recount text and its structure, for those reasons, a historical event conforms with.

The Youth Pledge
The Youth Pledge on 28 October 1928 was a declaration made by young Indonesian nationalists. This declaration was proclaimed in the Second Youth Congress. There are three points covered in the declaration, which are one motherland, one nation and one language.
The first Indonesia Youth Congress was held in 1926. It was held in Batavia, which was the capital of the Dutch East Indies. In the first congress, there were no formal decisions made but it promoted the idea of a united country.
The second congress was held in October 1928. This congress was held at three locations. The first session was held to inspire the feeling of unity. The second session discussed about education and the third or the final session participants heard for the first time Indonesia national anthem created by Wage Rudolf Supratman. The third session closed with a youth pledge reading.
At that time, the Youth Pledge was used for boosting the Indonesia army’s spirit. With the unity of the young nationalists, the Indonesian independence fighters got more motivation to fight against the colonialists.
Up to today, the date when the youth pledge was made is still remembered and celebrated. Many historians said that the Youth Pledge and the youth congress are one of the most important moments for Indonesia.

Analysis on the Generic Structure
It is like narrative text which has structure of orientation, complication and resolution.  With little bit different from narrative, all recount texts should be arranged based on three elements. They are:
1. Orientation: The Youth Pledge on 28 October 1928 was a declaration
2. Series of events:

• The first Indonesia Youth Congress was held in 1926.
• The second congress was held in October 1928.
• The Youth Pledge was used for boosting the Indonesia army’s spirit.

3. Reorientation:  The Youth Pledge and the youth congress are one of the most important moments for Indonesia.

3.  Recount Text in Historical Event about General Offensive of 1 March

Giving you the example of recount text about the history of Youth Pledge leads to another historical event. This is the history note on General Offensive of March 1. As it happened in 1948, recounting it use simple past tense. Referring the definition of recount text, it has past tense usage as one of language feature. Below is the recount text sample which is organized through orientation, series of event and optionally reorientation.

General Offensive of 1 March as Recount Text
General Offensive of 1 March was one of the most historical moments for Indonesia. The Dutch started a military offensive on 19 December 1948 to Indonesia as the result of failed negotiations with the republic.
19 December 1948, the Dutch army entered Jogjakarta, which was the temporary capital of the republic. By the end of December, almost all cities in Sumatra and Java were conquered by the Dutch. All ministers, president and vice president were captured and exiled to Bangka Island. However, the republican military in Jogjakarta and Surakarta refused to give up. They continued to wage a guerilla war.
Hamengkubuwono IX, the sultan of Jogjakarta planned a major offensive against the Dutch army in the city of Jogjakarta. The attack was aimed to show to the world that the republic still existed and did not surrender under the Dutch. General Sudirman, the leader of Indonesian army accepted the idea. In February, Sultan held a meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Suharto in Jogjakarta. He was the man who was appointed by Sudirman to lead the attack.
On 1 March 1949, at 6 am, the republican troops led by Suharto launched the general offensive. The Dutch surprised and they were not ready to face such massive attack. For 6 hours, Jogjakarta was controlled by the Indonesia army.
The attack brought a huge success because the world finally knew that the republic was still existed.

Analysis on the Generic Structure
All recount texts are written orderly in three elements. They are:
1. Orientation: The Dutch started a military offensive on 19 December 1948
2. Series of events:

• The Dutch army entered Jogjakarta 19 December 1948
• The sultan of Jogjakarta planned a major offensive against the Dutch army in the city of Jogjakarta.
• On 1 March 1949, at 6 am, the republican troops launched the general offensive.

3. Reorientation:  The world knew that the republic was still existed.

4.  Recount Text of Historical Event about Bandung Sea of Fire

Learning English text in high schools covers 13 kinds of text. One of them is recount. One topic commonly used to write a recount text is historical event. For this sub discussion we have an example of recount text with the tittle of Bandung Sea of Fire.
This text sample is given to complete the collection of recount text in historical events. As stated many time in this blog for learning English text, that recount text can be written in several topics, some of them are personal experience, historical event, holiday vacations, short biography of famous persons, and other topics recounting past experiences.

Bandung Sea of Fire
The Bandung Sea of Fire was a historical moment for Indonesian independence. It was the intentional burning of much of the southern side of Bandung during the Indonesia national revolution.  The event came to be known as Bandung Sea of Fire or Bandung Lautan Api. Hundreds of Indonesian nationalists were singing Halo – Halo Bandung to show that they were proud of what they have done.
The British commander gave an ultimatum to the Indonesian troops to leave Bandung. The troops responded differently. They mobilized people to burn the southern part of Bandung as they left on March, 24 1946. Houses and buildings was burned deliberately created a horrified scheme.
In March 1946, a member of Indonesia militia, Mohammad Toha, during the evacuations smuggled dynamite leaved by Japanese and Dutch troops. The dynamite was smuggled into the Dutch military headquarters in Dayeuh Kolot region. Toha detonated the dynamite in warehouse. He killed himself with several Japanese and Dutch troops. The explosion of the dynamite created a small lake in the area. The name of Mohammad Toha then used for the main street in Dayeuh Kolot.
The Bandung Sea of Fire showed us that Indonesia combatants were very loyal to the country. They did not want to leave anything for the colonial and British army. The event was a great example of how Indonesian would sacrifice everything to reach their goal.

Analysis on the Generic Structure
This is the note of the structure which forms this historical recount text. All recount texts should be arranged based on three elements. They are:
1. Orientation: Bandung was intentional burned
2. Series of events:

• The British commander gave an ultimatum to the Indonesian troops to leave Bandung.
• In March 1946, Indonesia militia smuggled dynamite leaved by Japanese and Dutch troops.

3. Reorientation:  It was a great example of how Indonesian would sacrifice everything to reach their goal.

5.  Recount Text on Historical Event about Japanese Occupation in Indonesia

Learning English with historical topic note is the best way to understand what and how recount text is. The note of historical event is written with facts of event that actually occurred in the past. The event is something important for the country or the world. Commonly, the story is involving the exact or predicted time of the event with several proofs of the event. Example of historical event story is the following.
Now let's see the following history note, the occupation of Japanese in Indonesia before Indonesia proclaimed the independence.

Short Recounting Japanese Occupation in Indonesia
Japanese occupation in Indonesia happened within year 1942 until 1945, during the World War II. Japanese invasion in Indonesia started in December 1941 but Japan was defeated the Dutch completely in March 1942.
During Japanese occupation, many Indonesian people were tortured and experienced slavery, arbitrary arrest, execution, and many other war crimes. Many people were forced to be labors that called romusha. Most romusha suffered for starvation and illness that leaded them to death.
Japan organized a committee for Indonesia independence in March 1945 and promised to give independence to Indonesia at August in the same year. Nevertheless, before Japan could fulfill the promise, Japan surrendered to US after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To take the momentum of no one ruling the country, Indonesia proclaimed the independence on 17th of August 1945.
That was the ending of Japanese occupation, which reported to have killed four million Indonesian people during the period.

Analysis on the Generic Structure
Recount text can be about personal experiences, biographies, or historical events. All recount texts should be arranged based on three elements. They are:
1. Orientation: Japanese invasion in Indonesia started in December 1941
2. Series of events:

• During Japanese occupation, many Indonesian people were tortured
• Indonesia proclaimed the independence on 17th of August 1945.

3. Reorientation: The ending of Japanese occupation is after proclamation

This historical recount text is given to help student understand what and how a recount text is. The historical recount text is retelling the events which are considered as historical moment. The elements of  history in the recount text should cover some important moment in the regions or country. All recount texts about historical event  are organized like biography and personal experience.

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