The What and Why of History

As a highschooler my definition I always used for History was a class that teaches the past. I never really got much into history. Although there were a few topics I found very fascinating. For example, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome. To me it was amazing that things from their time are still incorporated into my daily life.

Also the way the Egyptian and Roman civilizations worked have always been interesting to me. Although I found these topics very interesting it was hard as a kid to find much else of history interesting. I also had never had a fully good understanding of it. After reading some articles for my history college class, I found out why history could be necessary in my every day life. In an article called, Why Study History? Peter Stearns said,”Stories well done are stories that reveal how people and societies have actually functioned, and they prompt thoughts about the human experience in other times and places.”

To me, that statement had struck me upside the head and had given me a new perspective on history. History is different to every person based on their view of it. For example, most professional historians view history as an intellectual discipline that is practiced to discern what had happened. My view has evolved throughout this assignment. I now see history as a study of human societies, or characteristics throughout time. History is a tool you can use in the present, to prepare for the future.