Why Studying History Is Improtant

People do not like to study history because they believe there are no changes and that once something is found in a history book it must be settled. Such is not the case. History is something that is always undergoing change in a variety of ways. Let me give you one example.

In August of 2007, my wife and I took our two grandchildren to Gettysburg. While there I met a young man whose relative was a sharpshooter with the Union forces and had been killed there. One day we were talking about Devil's Den, a heated spot on day two of the battle. He told me that during the current clearing of trees from the area the workmen had come upon some friction fuses. Now these fuses were used by artillery batteries to ignite the cannons. It is believed that this find will explain the ineffectiveness of an artillery battery that should have been effective. Currently placed on elevated ground at Gettysburg, the record states the battery did not perform all that well on day 2 at Devil's Den. The fuses, found at a lower elevation and thus at a different location, might explain the reason for the battery's less then acceptable performance. This incident is not isolated. Historical discoveries are made all the time but unless they are glamorous there is little reporting on the matter and we go on being ignorant of what is happening. History is not static.

Why, therefore, is history important? I believe it ties us not only to our nation but to the people in it and thus a generational connection is maintained. How connected are you to those who are older then you? Did you ever ask your parent or grandparent what life was like when they were a kid? Did you ever teach that to your kid or grandkids and don't think this is just something silly, how do you think you make that connection? Want to have some real fun, ask you mom and dad what their dreams were when they were young? You might learn about a real sacrifice they made or a great success that happened.
Let me proffer a suggestion to help you get back in the saddle on history. Check out some good historical fiction. Try Allan Eckert, find him at Amazon, and start with "The Frontiersman". Look at Steven Pressfield for "The Afghan Campaign" Alexander the Great's little trip into that area. Michael Saharra wrote, "Killer Angles" and the movie Gettysburg was based on it. Newt Gingrich did a trilogy on Gettysburg that is one of the best sets I have ever read. Try this and I guarantee you will be visiting historical sights and reacquainting yourself with your nation's history.