Educating the future

Elizabeth Casella

History 153

April 22, 2017

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History is imperative to the life anyone should lead. Many think that it is not

necessarily the most important subject to learn behind mathematics, science or literary

arts. These are all important subjects as well, but history offers why the past is

distinguishable and important. It shows one how they can define their present based off

passed experiences. This social study also explains the forces that help to shape ones

future. History and the education of history celebrate and provide information and insight

into differences, rectifying justices, discussion diversions and building alliances.

According to Michael Postma a coordinator of High Potential Services and the

Minnetonka Navigator Program at Minnetonka Public schools, History can provide all

of these things, all the while giving each child, regardless of race, creed, gender, or

nationality, a framework within which to identify himself and the ability to interpret the

world around him.i Teaching history provides a cultural literacy as well as introducing

many different perspectives from all genders, groups or classes who may have varying

views of situations to encompass a full picture of events.

History is truly a lesson of the intentions, movements and experiments of human

production, development and past. This story of humility, courage, wisdom and hope is

told through historical candids that helps one to teach others as well as move forward,

recognize mistakes and learn from these to ultimately create a new or better existence.

This is why it is imperative for all ages to be taught a comprehensive instruction in

history through their education and if this is not offered, for them to seek it out for

themselves. Then one will not be doomed to repeat their or others past mistakes and

society is not doomed as well to repeat its collective past.

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The earliest history of humans that can be traced is those of the cavemen or early

humans in Paleolithic times that were the true development of humans and how we

interact and develop further today. Scientists learned about these from cave paintings and

the bones that have been found in many years and even decades of archeological

discoveries. Cavemen lived along dinosaurs and at the end of the Cretaceous period when

these dinosaurs went extinct, though humans did not.ii This is a vital part of our collective

memory because it is the first sign of our lives, development and cultural development.

These cavemen eventually developed into ancient societies such as the Egyptians, the

Mayans, the Romans and the Greek and spread out to different parts of the world to

create the cultures we see today. If one does not study the earliest of human development

through the cavemen they miss truly where humans came from and how evolution of the

species works, this cannot be seen in any other species, as it is different for them. Science

gives much insight into this discussion, but a history class fully develops the societal

roles and aspects that are needed to understand on an emotional as well as fully on an

intellectual level.

Even in a religious culture such as Catholicism and cultures such as Italy or many

early European countries with monarchs that were catholic followed this culture needed

history. This history comes from a more religious setting implying Jesus and what

happened before and after his creation and birth, then how God had an effect, but as well

as how this religious history effected their own heritage and culture. Through this history

of Catholicism there have been many good or bad effects on the entire world depending

on who reigned as Pope as well as the process of how the Pope was selected, as one

example of this religious culture importance. Much of the Pope and the Catholic churches
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actual duties or work is done behind closed doors especially when the changing of the

Pope occurs. Studying the history as a whole though helps one to understand reasons for

a Popes resignation and what the process of deciding whom a new Pope will be as well

as where the church wishes to go in the future. The ultimate goal is to always keep the

Church as well as the religion as strong as possible. Studying what has worked from

either a more administrative approach or intellectual approach, it gives insight for how

the church plans to operate in the future and how a Pope will react.iii

Another example of why educating oneself in history from our own cultural perspective

is in our own founding fathers. Looking at the Federalist papers and the discussions on a

very public platform of what type of government we should have as the first modern

democracy to be created, hoping to model future nations after our own we can learn many

things about history. We dont just learn about the founding fathers and type of

government or representation that they wanted. We learn what type of ways that a new

government is developed (in this case through a court room) as well as how the Federalist

papers where an example of teaching the mass public about their own history and

mistakes without having a proper education about it. These papers also teach us how

mass communication was developed and shared, how ideals where spread without

modern technology as well as how the mass public that did not or could not attend school

was educated on topics such as history, government, law and order as well as economics.

This was the first form of mass education like this paper itself discusses. The Federalist

papers were a revision of the Articles of Confederation that were a flounder in our past

and are referred to heavily in the beginning of the papers with specifics, then die off to

just discuss the new future government and how it will function instead.iv These are all
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examples of how history was developed and used to create a better understanding of a

culture or civilizations presence. From the earliest of cavemen leaving drawings to the

catholic church studying biblical times as well as modern history to predict a new

direction and the founding fathers creating a new government that everyone can approve

of as well as endure, these are all relevant to how education of history is a prime need and

how it affects other aspects within society, in some cases even shaping societal values.

As a historian of the 20th century United States understanding history and how to teach it

properly can further benefit society as well as contribute to my future of acting

responsibly and bettering society in several ways. Acknowledging ones history and

knowing proper facts as well as perspective help to address practical problems in life of

my own and others. As well as knowing how to educate others by using this collective

memory leads to a betterment of society and possibly sparking a new era of engagement

for this past or understanding of an impossible situation in a new light. In ancient Greece

and Egyptian cultures the study of history was only for the rulers and elite class. This left

the lower people being undeniably ruled blindly by these people with no way to learn

from mistakes or engage in bettering the future because they did not know what had and

hadnt been done yet. Those above them had all the power t make any decisions and

forever hold them in a fortitude society of servitude of masses. With this knowledge of

history not being spread it ultimately brought their societies to their knees and destruction

soon followed. Spreading this knowledge and dissolving an ignorance of history- that is,

absent or defective collective memory- does deprive us of the best available guide for

public action.v As the journalist I hope to be learning all I have learned over the year has

truly made me appreciate the knowledge that understanding history brings oneself. Also
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by having this knowledge educating the public through proper information and sources

including indulging the viewers with historical relevance to the fullest extent will make

accuracy better along with society itself. This will make viewers more knowledgeable

and be a form of education that is not necessarily always the best but as a supplement to

an established in school education to push society forward in my own personal way.

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Notes
i. See What Can History Teach Us Today and Michael Postmas discussion of how education on
history exclusively should be taught more and the reasons why. Otherwise it is a loss to society.
ii. The UCSB Scienceline offers a scientific insight to the history of cavemen in an incredibly short
span. It also discusses who the first person was and how it refers to modern societies. It does not offer
the historical, but is a purely scientific insight to this part of the discussion, but is a great starting point.
iii. Looking at David Perrys article in The Atlantic about how history can actually help predict the
next pope it gives insight to how religious history (even though it is from a different cultural
perspective) is still important to understand and has real impact on the cultivation of history.
iv. Hodges refers to history from many perspectives. The portion discussing the mythic founding
fathers is more of use to this reference of how education and examples of different cultures is relevant.
It gives an in depth look on different perspectives and parts of history on how it was taught at an early
time and why they were significant.
v. McNeil describes why one should study history through many valid points. The overall purpose of

this article is to get a true understanding of why educating history is so important to the masses and

how it changes society for the better.

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Works Cited

Hodges, Blair. On the Rhetorical Use of History to Understand Present. Academia. 7

May 2012. WEB. 22 April 2017. http://www.academia.edu/1539830/Hodges-

_Final_Essay_On_Rhetorical_Uses_of_History_to_Understand_the_Present. This paper

discusses the Rhetorical use of understanding the present with history through several examples

of historical events as well as perspectives that give a wide range of understanding. I

specifically used it to understand our own culture through the Federalist papers and how these

were a way of educating the masses on a new government system while addressing the past

mistakes. Also using this paper to understand the discussion of educating the masses as a good

or bad thing is acceptable. Through the different perspectives Hodges offers she thoroughly

outlines this particular event in history, how it relates and why it is important.

McNeill, William H. Why Study History (1985). American Historical Association.

 N/A. WEB. 22 April 2017. https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-

and-archives/archives/why-study-history-(1985) McNeil describes why one should study

history through many valid points. The overall purpose of this article is to get a true

understanding of why educating history is so important to the masses and how it changes

society for the better. He goes in depth into specifics about why not having the knowledge of

history can harm society and individuals. Also how the introduction of history can be used to

solved simple practical life problems. He also cautions careful reflections and

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insights from different perspectives on historical events and influences so that one is not

misguided in their knowledge and education.

Perry, David. How History Can Help Us Predict the Next Pope. The Atlantic. 12

March 2013. WEB. 22 April 2017.

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/03/how-history-can-help-us-predict-the-

next-pope/273945/ This article discusses the religious side of history. It shows how the pope can

be predicted while also describing how one can use history to understand more in depth why a

pope might resign before death. This is through a religious history as well as modern historical

influence. Even though these two go hand and hand, but differ with some facts about what

happened according to the bible, this article describes how one can divulge both for

understanding in harmony. It also in depth describes how modern America and the Catholic

religious history are in conflict, but understanding the religious and using it to predict the future

pope can predict where the church is then headed. Then society can be predicted to an extent as

well.

Postma, Michael. What Can History Teach Us Today. ASCD. N/A. WEB. 22 April
 2017. http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/622-postma.aspx Education of history needs to be

included within schools at all levels. From a literary perspective as well as a social science and

understanding ones own self history is an important component. This article explains why one

needs to discuss history and know it or continue to explore it over a lifetime to learn how they

fit in to the world. It also discusses how education can be applied to learning from past

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mistakes to ensure a better future for society as well as oneself. It does not matter about ones

background or culture, studying history creates a more well rounded sense of life and culture as

well as other societies and values.

Who was the first person alive before cavemen were born? National Science

Foundation and UCSB School- University Partnerships. N/A. WEB. 22 April 2017.

http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3915 This gives a scientific insight to when the

cavemen were first found and how they cultural lived as well as developed. It does not explore

the sociological insight that one would need to delve more into the historical side for, but from a

complete scientific stand point it gives a good basis for one to find out the first facts for this

topic. It also discusses the development with several answers to represent a diverse scientific

thought process since there are several thoughts and theories out there surrounding the specific

facts. In this incredibly short span it offers the most important facts in a forum discussion board

style for viewers.