The Importance of Learning History: Knowledge for Future Generations

History can be defined as the methodical narrative of events that took place in the past related to certain persons or periods and has over time become identical to arguments in schools and classrooms. It can also be termed as a study of human past events, a past which has all its decisions accomplished, partakers dead with a narrated history, is what is perceived by the public as the absolute foundation where archeologists and historians stand. This is my opinion on this matter.

I think history can be a great narrative, one full of wonderful personalities and accounts of triumph and turmoil. Each generation comes in to add new chapters on our current history while at the same time trying to give a further and diverse interpretation while coming up with things that have not been noted in the already written chapters.

As I keenly went through this research, I found out that the study of history comes along with certain lessons that we need to master in our efforts as we dig more on history. Some of these important reasons behind why we study history include:

The study of history provides us with a sense of belonging. It is easier to comprehend who we really are if we understand our origin. Another important thing as to why we study history is because it gives us the logic of our existence and our lives' context. It opens us to understand how things are and provides us with an isle of how we can face the future.

By studying history, we are enlightened on what it takes to be people, stating the major accomplishments and tragic mistakes committed by humans. Last but not the least, studying history helps us learn by example. It gives us clues on ways through which we can plan and set the society for all people to benefit and live well.

In his work, Zinn mentions Columbus’ journal entries severally, not forgetting his response to the primary meeting with Arawaks: “they would be good servants… having 50 men its possible to subdue all of them and compel them to do what we need. This is an attitude that prompted slavery, murder, high jacking, and rape. According to them, the Spaniards only wanted to prove their loyalty to their home nations by indicating that the islands had a lot of resources, specifically gold. It is noted that Columbus went on to take some of the natives with him to show the queen but unfortunately, they did not make it as they died on the way, and when he returned having more ships and men, they initiated a restricted punishment and slavery system on West Indies natives.

According to Zinn Columbus and his crew were enthusiastic about the golden earrings worn by the Arawaks. This prompted the fast, eager crazy rush for the gold found in the island (they needed to make cash for investors). These men enslaved the people forcing them to work on the mines, who were killed if found without proper coins on their necks as proof that they had come with quality and quantity gold. In their work Zinn and leeward state that their main work was to ravage, mangle, kill, exasperate and destroy, (Zinn, 6)'. As a result of the invasion of West Indies, there was a great genocide.

The writer continues to review such similar occasions by people who adored and esteemed very highly like Pizarro, Cortez whore were later wiped out by the Spaniards slaughter, for their minerals like silver and gold. Pizarro reflected the shocking tactics used by Cortez in Peruto completely to destroy the culture of Inca. Before encountering with the whites, the inhabitants of the eastern shore were very friendly, but in case a native happened to steal a single silver, the whole village was torched in retribution. The incoming colonists forced the natives to either migrate or engage in direct confrontation as they wanted to create more room for the many Europeans coming to the land.

In chapter 7 of his work on A People's History of America, he depicts a number of promises that were, made to the natives by the foreigners which were not kept. The natives were forced to work on the large tracks of land owned by the Europeans in order to pay for the huge debts inflicted on them. They were compelled to cease hunting and turn into agriculture.

I think that history is a very important tool which interprets events that happened long ago, into a language that represents an objective representing similar things is not easy initially. People with different aims usually go for the history which does not mirror and stand for beneficial goals called the ‘revisionist history’ which is ironic on its own.

I tend to think that history is on many occasions being misinterpreted and mispresented using superficial or content that is not very comprehensive in most schools in America. This has been manifested in both the curricular and textbook materials. Regarding the Columbus case, the original contract between the natives and Europeans and the Exchange with Colombian researchers carried out 6 various analyses of contents. This result was hovered not comprehensive and rigorous but more of descriptive since no single pool of data contained ten and above books while the process of selection was supported by very few researchers. It is important to note that for comprehensive research, the data pool needs to have books for representation from different levels of studies and various time frames. There has been a lot of mis-presentation in our history books as the tend to omit some of the important information that may be helpful to students. The majority of researchers have gone ahead to just focusing on that history which does not talk about the negative side of people we perceive as heroes in our history.

I think that W.E.B DuBois meant that it is important to accommodate all aspects of history without excluding or omitting any part may it be positive or negative. He urged people to embrace history as it is and dig into it deeper to fetch the important lessons needed for us to learn.

By embracing history, we are more likely to miss important aspects and information that might in one way or the other modify our way of life in the future. It is thus very critical to ensure that we are given the complete data regarding our history to ensure that even the future generation gets the right material and information appertaining their origin and ancestry.

As I conclude this, I would like to state that understanding our history is of paramount importance. We should ensure that relevant material is available containing relevant data.