Most people have at one point in their life studied about a history of something or someone, especially at school. They have only studied history because it is compulsory in schools, but some of them fail to think the relevance of history to our day to day lives critically. It is what we learn from histories that we learn more about our lives and also shape our present lives.
History is the study of past events, discoveries and memories and how these events and memories are of importance to man in his present life. Through the study of the past events and memories, we can analyze them and pick what is relevant to our present lives while discarding what is not important. Those who lived before us did certain things that either improved or diminished the well-being of man. There are people who majored in discovering and inventing things that are still of use today or are being improved for use in our day to day lives. Others attended to people who needed help voluntarily. When we these people, we can appreciate their work and understand that if it were not for their work and efforts our present lives would be different. There are also events that happened in the past that we study today that also shape the way we survive today.
Through history, we learn about our identity. If we did not study history, then we would not be able to know such thing as who we are, where we came from, and how we ended up where we are. In the study of the history of America, we learn that not all people who live in the United States of America are native to America. Currently, the United States of America has many people of different races, color, religion and ethnic groups. One can trace their origin through the study of past events such as the movement of the settlers to the America and the slave trades. For instance, the African Americans learn that their origin is Africa and that they ended up in America due to the slave trade.
History contributes to moral understanding
Some people in the past were faced with complex and difficult situations. Studying such situations, that happened in the past enable us to test our own moral senses especially when we contemplate on them. They also give us inspiration and develop in us a sense of helping others. For instance people, such Clara Barton who was a nurse worked tirelessly to help the soldier who were wounded and provided clothes and supplies to the soldiers during the civil war. She went through very difficult situations but still did not give up on her determination to attend to her patient. She later ended up starting the Red Cross organization. Her work was voluntary, and so is a source of inspiration to many people in the present who see the need to help others who are in difficult situations.
Enable us to appreciate others
All humans are equal regardless of the race, religion, color or ethnic group that we came from. During the time of the slave trade, the slaves suffered a lot as they were treated as properties and their only purpose was to work. Whenever they got sick, they were not treated but instead were left to die. Abraham Lincoln called for the end of slavery as he saw the need to treat all human being equally. When we study and analyze the slavery today, we learn that it is not right to treat others in a manner that diminishes their value as humans.
Improving the living conditions
People in the past lived very simple life but as time went by there emerged people who saw the need to improve the living conditions. They thus concentrated on discoveries and inventions that were aimed at improving the living conditions. For instance, Such people as Thomas Edison, who some of his ideas and inventions were unachievable in large scale at his time put a lot of effort to improve the lives of people. Studies of his work later by scientist and engineers have impacted our lives directly in a positive way.
In conclusion, the study of the past events and discoveries have played a big role in helping us learn from the past. The things we learn can then be of importance to us if we select and pick the ones that favor us as human beings and discard the one that diminish our live or lives of others. We see that learning about the past can help us learn about our past and in so doing we get to know about our identity. Through history, we can also get inspired by people whose works were aimed at improving and caring for others. Study of past discoveries has helped improve present lives. Thus, study of past events helps us learn more about and also shape our lives