What is history? This is an age-old question that has many different interpretations. Is it purely the study of the past? Is it only what’s important? Why do we study history in schools? What does it matter? Throughout this paper I will discuss what history means to me. I will describe how I interpret the word history, and why it is important to us.
So, let’s begin by first defining history. Many people might tell you that they believe history is the study of the past. Some might say it is the records from past civilizations. One observation I would like to make is we can’t be certain what happened long ago because we weren’t there. Much of what we study is biased by how we may feel, how the text was written, or some other kind of bias we might have. It is important to realize that all of us have different views of history. We all have different ideas about what has happened in the past. Take the creation myths mentioned in class for example. All of the civilizations since the beginning of time have had different stories and ideas about how the Earth and mankind were created. From good Gods and Evil gods to multiple gods to giants and demons! There are all kind of myths that explain the creation. The Iroquois, for example, believe that the earth was built on the back of a turtle. While that may sound ridiculous to us, it is their story- their perspective on the past, and therefore is their history. If they saw our day, they would probably think our creation myths are crazy too! This brings me to my definition for history, although perhaps more than one are correct, my definition is this: History is an appreciation of the past. It is our perspective of the past.
This brings us to the next question: Why is history important? Why is it studies in schools? What does it matter? One reason I think the past is studied is so we can gain an appreciation for it. We can look back at our ancestors and founding fathers and be grateful for their contributions, hard work and dedication to making the world what it is now. This can be looked at from both a gospel and secular standpoint. Both the Book of Mormon and our records of secular history provide stories of people who have served to make this world what it is now. By studying the past, we can show gratitude to the people that lived then. We can be thankful for what they did for us.
Another reason why history is important is those that aren’t educated are doomed to repeat it. I know you hear this phrase all the time, but it’s true! We learn from our mistakes. If something didn’t work in the past, chances are it isn’t something we should be doing now. This idea can be thought about at a worldwide, national or even personal level. It’s important to realize what works and what doesn’t. The past can play a very important role in teaching us a lesson or two.
In conclusion, history can have a lot of different definitions. In my opinion, the word “history” covers our perception of the past. It covers our appreciation for our ancestors and the others that have gone before us. It covers our perspective of what we think happened years ago. Since we can’t say what for sure the people were feeling, or what they did, it is our biased view ideas and understanding of what we read and see.
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