Why Is History Important?

people

We study English so we can learn to communicate. We study math to learn about measurement. We study science to learn how and why things work. We study history to learn lessons about life.

The study of history is important but sometimes more complicated to explain than other academic subjects. First, history is the study of people and what they do. From their actions, we look at what worked and what failed. This helps us figure out what we should do today with similar situations.

In addition, the study of history creates a common bond among the people who study it. Americans who study United States history become tied to a common past that brings us together. For instance, the "American experiment" is about limited government created to guarantee natural rights (life, liberty, and property) to all its citizens. We all share this in common.

In the end, we study what happened in the past to help us know what to do in the future. At the beginning of the twentieth century, philosopher George Santayana wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If we ignore what happened before our time, we are likely to repeat the same mistakes.