Most people would probably agree that history is “what-really-happened-in-the-past.” But professional historians know that it is a far more complicated business. As a human enterprise, it is especially susceptible to bias, self-righteousness, pride and vanity, not to mention the omission and distortion of the unpleasant and the unsavory. Invented histories often have moral force, and they tend to persist because they meet a human need. But they are not what history is all about.
It is not enough to know the dates and events that happened in the past; understanding how they interacted with each other is a key part of historical analysis. Moreover, the study of history helps us understand how we got to where we are today and how to make sense of our place in time.
As any schoolchild knows, knowledge of the past is important because it provides a framework for our understanding of the world around us. Without a framework, we are likely to get the facts mixed up with the ideas and the people. In the worst case, we may get so confused that we are unable to distinguish between what really happened and what we think happened.
History is not simply about knowing names and dates. It is about making sense of a complex, dynamic process and then communicating that meaning to others. It is about understanding how different events interrelate with one another and what their significance was. The study of history allows us to develop an analytical mind, a skill that is valuable in a wide variety of careers.
Moreover, the study of history gives students an invaluable opportunity to practice writing and communicating their understanding of the past. In doing so, they learn how to construct a narrative and how to convey their thoughts clearly. Students also gain the ability to compare and contrast the past with the present. This helps them understand how certain things are the same or similar in both the past and the present, and it allows them to make better decisions for the future.
The most significant lesson that history teaches is that the past is not remote and foreign, but that it is always relevant to our lives. It is important to remember that we all live in the here-and-now, but it took a long, unfolding history to get to NOW. History can teach us to appreciate what is truly important in our own lives, as well as the high costs of making decisions based on false analogies with the past.
If you are a student of history, it is helpful to create a timeline for yourself or use an online or mobile app to keep track of the chronology of key events in your chosen field of study. Mnemonics are an effective way to memorize key dates, so try to come up with phrases or rhymes that help you remember them. Visualising key historical events and creating a mental image for them will also significantly aid your retention.