The Importance of History History is an important part of anyone’s life. History helps understand the past so the people of the country can understand where they come from. The subject helps children understand who they are and where they came from. History is basically knowledge about the past events. It is a part of everyday life that goes partially un-noticed. Everybody, people talk about past events without even knowing that they are performing the task.
One needs to know and understand the past at doctor’s offices and solving arguments between children. I would have to know my past and my family past in order to fill out the information at my doctors. This is the way the doctor can know what to expect from my health issues. I could use history to find out the solution and the start of the problem of sibling arguments. If my two children got in a fight and one of them told me one thing and the other told me another, I would be able to tell from their history on how the fight actually went.
History helps the people of today realize why their country enters wars, where their beliefs come from, and understand their culture of their country. According to the author of “Importance of History,” David Crabtree, the definition of history is that it is a story about the past that is significant and true. This simple definition contains two words that are packed with meaning which must be understood in order to understand history, which are significance and truth. Significance is determined by the historian.
The historian sorts through the evidence and presents only that which, given his particular world view, is significant. No one could record everything that is true about an event in the past. Everything can be entered in history because every factor can be used in studies, teachings, and certain other possibilities. Most historians use the word “true” to mean any perspective well supported by facts. Several people can have different perspectives on history itself or bits of pieces of history (Crabtree, 1993).
So it is important that we, as the people, can get all of the correct information and learn as much as possible to fully understand the full outlook and meaning of history. The resources that I can use are the school library and the public library. If I want a personalized story to be told to me, so that I can have a personal answer I can talk to something that lived through the time that I need to find research on. This person can give me a perspective that I could not get from a book, computer, or the library. Another resource that I could use is movies and television.
I could watch documentaries about the event since the documentaries are based on facts and truth. They provide an in-depth view on the topics and they give more sources than necessary. I could watch the television channel National Geography or the History Channel, because they give the most honest and truthful facts to the viewers. Works Cited Crabtree, D. (1993, November). Importance of History.
I could watch movies that take place during the time, but they are not always truthful. I would only use them as a last resort because they can be based on fact or fiction.
The web might not always have the correct information because anyone can post anything online and there is not any sort of way to track it or find out where it is coming from. The best resource for me would be talking with someone who was alive during that time in history so that I know for sure if they are telling me the truth. If no one is available then I turn back to my school library cards and books that were written by historians when the event took place.
I would also use the internet just to double-check what I have found in books.
I could always talk with my grandparents or great-grandparents about history, because they lived through it and experienced it. They will be able to tell me stories that actually happened during that time. Another resource would be documentaries on television, because most of them are based on true facts and provide more sources than necessary for research.
Movies are not reliable resources because sometimes they are based on fact but they can only give one perspective of the event. The web is not a trustworthy source because anyone can post anything online including incorrect information.
