What makes history so interesting? For me it is the people who give me the thrill of history. They make the history. They build the churches, sign the agreements and influence those around them (such as Lillie Langtry). What made them tick?
If we all think of important historic British events we will no doubt have different lists of events. We will also all respond differently to even just the mention of some of these events. And we will place our own importances and relevances on certain events.
An Information Age
We have access to the wonders of the Internet (and heaven forbid, Wikipedia). And of course this is all highly accessible on our Smart Phones and tablets. We have 24 hour access to absolutely anything our hearts desire or our brains crave.
The existence of Homo Sapiens makes up 98% of our world’s history and pre-history. But these times were dominated by hunting, gathering and the use of flint stone. It has been suggested that the way our brains have been wired developed from these pre-historic times (Stone Age technology). Our only record of this period is through archaeology and this can make the evidence difficult to interpret. We can only draw conclusions according to what we have before us.
Then of course history is also interpreted and analysed from so many perspectives. Each account is not the only account, and each account is not right or wrong. Each account is just from a different angle.
So, how do we make history more challenging?
We can start to think about what might have happened if a certain event had not occurred. If events unfolded in a completely different way, or due to unforeseen factors, what would our lives be like today?
Think about this example: If Britain was still a Catholic country today the culture would feel very different. We would need to appreciate the subtle differences that occur in a Catholic country. These could include the power of the local priest and the daily implications of the Catholic faith.
Consider this thrill of history
To understand what the Magna Carta (English Charter issued in 1215) achieved, we may need to consider what life was like in a place where a king/ruler’s power was less restrained.
And again: To appreciate the democratic politics of Britain, we may have had to have lived under a totalitarian regime. This would be a way of fully understanding the ‘freedoms’ of democracy.
If we look at he British historical timeline, it is possible to see that its roots lie in a set of experiences different from other countries and yet influenced by these countries. Thus the 21st Century is the end point from where we travel backwards in time.
In the grand scheme of history, our story exists purely in a blink of an eye. The rest is pre-history!
By fully embracing history, we can hope to realise that our freedoms, our characters as different nations and our wide range of languages have not happened by chance.
Great observation of history. We so easily take freedom, for granted, to contribute, thoughts, ideas and understanding from history, in flow of dialogue. Homo sapiens does not possess this major opportunity for growth and enhancement, in every part of the world.
I totally agree. I wish we placed more emphasis on history in schools. Young children love history stories of knights (for example) and then something happens and they lose interest in their teens. Many don’t come back to history until they explore theie family history.