本文利用上海檔案館保存的政協檔案，特別是從1959年至1966年間的會議紀錄與工作報告，配合在1960年代參與文史資料工作的徐鑄成和包天笑的個人日記，以及潘序倫的回憶資料，檢視中國共產黨透過政協設立「文史資料研究委員會」，徵集與研究晚清至民國時期的近代史事資料的歷程。北京的全國政協推動以軍政為主流的史料徵集工作，藉以達到統戰效果的政治作用；負責上海地區文史資料的民主黨派成員遵奉指令，於進行統戰集稿之時標舉出上海特色，尤以工商生活與文教發展為重心，經由親自撰稿或邀請舊識，提供全國首屈一指的文稿，奠定今日上海文史知識的傳承基礎。政協主導之下的文史資料工作，強調舊時代的反動性質。顧頡剛的「舊時代怎麼變人為鬼，新社會又怎麼變鬼作人」一語，象徵此際新舊中國予以激烈對比的官方論述模式。然而，這個訴求對部份撰稿者形成心理壓力，有人撤稿退卻，有人改寫舊稿，遂至留存資料遊走於記錄史事與形塑歷史之間。總之，中國共產黨在建國十年之後，才由政協推動的「文史資料」工作，這是因應特定需求而生的時代產物。它是一種具有政治意涵的文化運動，更是一項統戰作為，引導那些無法分享政權的圈外人士，向中共當局主動交心。中共政協透過「文史資料」工作的持續推展，不僅定調了中共政權對於晚清民國人物史事的範疇和解釋，進而影響了其後五十餘年來世人對於中國近代史的議題與研究方向。

This article examine the politics of the overall strategy behind the creation of “historical accounts” (wenshi ziliao) of past events. I use the records of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), especially records of meetings between 1959 and 1966, along with writings of well-known persons, such as the diaries of Xu Zhucheng徐鑄成and Bao Tianxiao包天笑, and the reminiscences of Pan Xulun潘序倫. In writing about Shanghai’s past, many accounts came from the democratic wing of the old Chinese political spectrum. Focusing firmly on the characteristics of Shanghai, they planned to collect historical data concerning developments of commercial life as well as culture and education. Moreover, they contributed their own writings and friends’ writings. Those manuscripts provided a basis of the contemporary knowledge of Shanghai’s culture and history. The CPPCC’s framing of historical accounts emphasized the reactionary elements of the past: as Gu Jiegang 顧頡剛 remarked, “The old era turned people into demons while the new society has turned demons into people.” This slogan became a goal that created a psychological burden for the contributors. One of them withdrew his manuscript, another changed his manuscripts after time passed and conditions changed. The effects on the actual function of historical data were thus complex. In sum, work on historical accounts was a cultural movement with political functions. It led those who had lost their previous influence to devote themselves heart and soul to the new regime of the People’s Republic. As the result of the continuing promotion of historical work, the CPPCC has defined the scope of historical research to this day.