The Importance of History

History is important. In centuries past this statement would have seemed self-evident. Ancient cultures devoted much time and effort to teaching their children family history. It was thought that the past helps a child understand who he is. Modern society, however, has turned its back on the past. I. A DEFINITION OF HISTORYSo history matters, but what is history? My advisor in graduate school had a simple definition that I have grown to appreciate: "History is a story about the past that is significant and true." This simple definition contains two words packed with meaning which must be understood in order to understand history.