What is History?

                History is a selective record of events leading up to the present, often written down by historians to explain past. It is an interpretation from a person’s own perspective. The value of history is that it is part of one’s identity. It is also there to learn from, so the mistakes of the past are not repeated. Blame is not assigned for past injustices.  Current history can change, since new evidence is always being discovered.

                It is impossible for all history to be recorded, due to it being a selective process. There is no need for people to know everything that has happened in the past. History is usually influenced by those in power. For example, the Russian communist leaders would destroy the past leader’s identity when they came into power. Most leaders wanted to be known as the “great ruler”. For this reason, they wanted the recorded events to reflect their accomplishments. Also, the earliest written history was provided by members of the clergy. The church was the first to read and write so the recorded history would be selected and influenced through their perspective.

                In other words, history is only an interpretation by an individual. There is always more than one, if not many sides to an issue. The opinions are varied by age, experience, culture, religion, family, peers etc. For instance, it is a known fact that Christopher Columbus was said to have discovered America in 1492. Did he really? Aboriginal Americans have lived in America long before Columbus stepped on the shores of the Bahamas. Also, an assumption has been made that 1492 is referring to the calendar used by most people in the United States, not according to Jewish or Chinese calendars. Facts have varying degrees of accuracy, since they can be interpreted in different ways.

                Above all, what is known of one’s past builds up a person’s identity, which is the worth of history. Culture, religion, family are all important factors of an identity. Another reason why history is significant is that it can be learned from, so the past injustices do not occur again. However, this is not always the case. For example, WWI was followed by WWII 20 years later. The lesson that extreme nationalism and militarism destroys world peace was not learnt. There has not been a world war since WWII so far, but have been over 100 smaller ones.  

                The only way to solve current political issues is to avoid them, not by placing blame. Beliefs were different in the past, and most descendants regret their ancestor’s injustices. In regards to WWII, many Canadians of Japanese descent were laboured during the war and had their properties taken away. The government issued compensation in the 1980s and an official apology. Surely, compensation is offered as a way of saying sorry, but where does it end? The government cannot keep giving compensation for all the generations to come. Many Ukrainian immigrants from areas under the control of Austro-Hungarian Empire were forced to work in camps as aliens. Few of the workers are alive still today. Yet, demands of compensation have been made by some present-day Ukrainian Canadians. No matter how much cash is offered, the past cannot be changed. The only way to atone for past injustices is to make sure they are never repeated.

                With new evidence being discovered, the course of history is fluid. An interpretation of the past can be disproved by newly found information. For example, fifty years after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the Japanese speak out about the initial plans of warning the Americans. Before then, people have always assumed it was meant to be a surprise attack. There is no guarantee that the recorded history is correct, since it is impossible to travel back in time to get the truth.

On the whole, history is a selective interpretation/perspective of past events. The worth of history is that people can learn from past mistakes, and it also makes up one’s identity. Instead of assigning blame for past problems, we should learn from history to avoid these situations from happening again. Historical facts can change when new information is found. I think history is an important subject that must be taught in school and at home. Knowing about the past gives an individual the idea of self-importance. Also, learning from history will remind future generations of what is right and what is wrong. The ideal outcome of learning history is to minimize conflicts for the future.