one honest conversation we have to have especially in tudor spaces, is the lack of accessibility to specific sources and documents, and how some 'scholars' on here will leverage their own accessibility and privilege over others who cannot afford or access first hand documents, books, letters, etc. elitism is very common in tudor spaces and I've come across it.
i remember that popular anne boleyn blogger saying that i was 'spreading historical misinformaion' because the sources i used were second hand scholalry sources that also had first hand letters as well. in discussing anne boleyn's actions and attitude toward mary, i referenced an article where tracy borman was interviewed and also another article from a reputable source that linked back to first hand materials. i did this because i don't have access to first hand letters, material, etc., i am not in a position to afford them at this point because in many cases those are expensive and hidden behind paywalls (and then when i did present a letter from chapuys, one that mary herself never actually refuted and there were claims to back it, i was told i was being biased. and yes i know chapuys is bias but many of the claims he made about how mary was treated came from mary's mouth, and she never disputed those herself)
luckily i've actually found hmm ways to obtain some of the books and sources i've wanted for specific figures, but the point is the need to completely ruin someone's credibility or start slander campagins against them because they are not as privileged as you as an issue that I've seen go on in Tudor spaces for years.
And the funny thing is there are historians with doctorates, masters, etc., who spend YEARS studying, who make youtube accounts, tiktok, etc., with their credientials and published books who will have some of the most one sided, misinformed takes that make it to popular media.
idk the point is that, accessibility and lack of it is a real, actual thing. and when it comes down to it, sources, even first hand sources, letters, etc., can be disputed and marred with bias. especially if we're talking about certain anne boleyn and elizabeth i scholars who only get into history, academia, tudor research solely for those two and only look at positive sources and depictions of them. (i've literally seen some elizabethan scholars who WENT to school argue that mary i was never made to serve as a lady in elizabeth's household and if they finally agree they say it was a great honor).
of course, someone going to school and spending years of research is going to have merit, as well as those who are privileged enough to obtain first hand sources.
but people on here getting sources from researchers, historians, historical documents, books on specific figures, etc., are not any less serious or any less valid in our research. and we are not spreading misinformation because you don't like that anne boleyn historically didn't like mary i and took joy in anne shelton mistreating mary.
more so the elitism needs to stop
