As a society, we often view the importance of Math, Science, and English. While all are important staples to creating a successful society, there is one subject that is often overlooked. History is arguably the most important subject to understand.
History is a collection of the mistakes and successes of humanity. Understanding history has both the benefit of learning what has happened in the past, as well as learning how to seek out patterns around us. Targeting patterns in human behavior led to the preservation of society.
History class is a class of awareness, what you learn helps aid in understanding the world around us in a very human way. Not a way of scientific analysis or mathematical understanding. While both can open you to a world of brilliance, what is arguably the most brilliant is human behavior.
Awareness brought through History class can come in many different forms. We can reflect on a time when not many people went to school. And through that knowledge, we can come to understand the importance of our own education.
History is the basis of all education. History allows us context and understanding when going into other classes. Classic literature can be enjoyed in your English class, but it can be further enjoyed with a concept of the time period. Understanding something such as the age of Enlightenment can lead to more understanding when learning about philosophers when in a Science class. History stretches out to all subjects due to the fact that everything exists due to history. Every piece of literature becomes a piece of history. Every new scientific innovation will become a part of our history. Famous mathematicians will be our history.
Awareness can also happen in a political way. When seeing an unjust from the past, it can bring our attention to a similar unjust happening in the present.
The way in which history is taught can also have significant effects if it is done correctly or incorrectly.
When history is taught incorrectly there can be significant consequences. Being taught false narratives about our past can often lead to extremist behaviors. A great example of this comes from the incorrect way the South has depicted the history of the Civil war to its youth.
The South depicts the Civil war as a fight for states’ rights, rather than what it was, a fight to keep slavery in the South. Now, we can see the confederate flag worn proudly by Southerners. All because history was altered to fit the agenda of an extremist group of people, a flag full of hate has become a symbol of “southern pride”.
In all, history is something that everyone should try to fully understand. Whether you believe you will use it in the future or not, it is not something that should be neglected.
