Why History Matters

Why Does History Matter? History is one of the most underappreciated subjects included in a modern education. Many students regard history as a useless subject that their school requires for some reason. What’s the point of learning about dead people and what they did, when you can learn about something that will be relevant to the present and the future? New information is always expanding the field of science, and english is constantly being perfected like a diamond being polished. These subjects, vital for future education and careers, are all equally important to learn, and are what continue to push humanity upward and onward. But history… History tells us who we were, where this world that exists today came from. Although many cynics protest that to dwell on the past rather than looking to the future is a waste of time and effort, any historian can tell just the opposite - that history gives humanity identity, wisdom, tradition, technology, and culture. Before it can be established that history is what gives humanity its identity, the definition of identity must be clear. According to the Cambridge dictionary, identity is ‘who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others.’ Therefore, when regarding to the identity of the human race as a whole, the identity is what makes humans different from those of a similar nature - other animals. About 6 million years ago is when the ancestors of humans first began to walk, leaving their hominid peers behind. At that moment, humans began to form their own identity, and have never stopped. Around 100,000 years ago (estimated), humans had a sophisticated enough brain to begin to communicate with sounds, and languages started to form. Fast forward to the Neolithic Revolution, from 10,000 - 3,000 B.C., and humans began to form civilizations, grow crops, and raise livestock. All the way up until today, members of both ancient and recent civilizations have been creating the