The History of History

                “The American disease-and I’m quoting someone I can’t recall-is forgetfulness.  A person or people who cannot recollect their past have little point beyond mere animal existence: it is memory that makes things matter.”
                -William Lease-Heat Moon, Prairyerth

                Throughout my education, I have loved learning about history.  As a freshman in high school, I took an AP World History Course.  I continue to take more advanced history courses throughout my high school experience and into my college education, as well.  Our history is completely what shapes us as human beings, as a society, as a culture, and as a nation.  History has a huge impact on all levels of our world.  Without it, we would cease to grow as a society.  We learn from not only our nation’s history but the history of other nations, as well.  So much can be gained through looking at the causes of economic depressions and the crumbling of empires throughout history.  History essentially gives us all the tools that we need to continue to better ourselves in the future and grow as people.  Without a knowledge of our past, we would be unable to ever truly prosper and move forward in the world.

                Yet, despite all of this, so many people are terribly unaware of the true history of not only our world but most importantly our nation.  No, I’m not saying that everyone needs to know the dates of every war and major event throughout history.  Realistically, it’d be extremely difficult to expect people to learn that.  What is important, though, is to understand the ways in which our society has changed and come to because of our past.  So many different economic and social standings that exist today can be directly linked to specific moments in history.  And, even more importantly, many people have no idea of the horrors that have been committed on US soil by the US government and people.  From Japanese Internment camps during World War II to the scale of the Native American genocide to the forced sterilization of women for the sake of eugenics.  Each one of these horrific events many people still feel the impact of today, yet so few Americans know of or are taught of these tragedies.

                While it’s awful to learn that your beloved country has done wrong, it’s so important to ensure that everyone knows of the horrors so that we can all progress and make amends.  If we are unaware of the atrocities that we’ve committed, then there is the chance for them to occur again.  Just as its stated in the above quote, without knowledge of our pasts we have little left to offer.