History Is More Important Than You Think

Sophia Shuhay | Editor

Growing up, I thought that history was so unbelievably boring. I never gave it the time of day, thinking it had no relevance to me and my current circumstances. That is until I went on a class field trip to Gettysburg National Park. There we spent the day learning about the Battle of Gettysburg in its entirety. To my surprise, I was interested in learning more. It felt so weird to be standing on the grounds where thousands of people died, where strife and devastation washed over the land almost 200 years ago.

So why is this important? History is the key to our past. It reveals the truth about our nation and how it came to be… the good and the bad. I believe that every child should grow up learning the truth about the struggles that marginalized groups have and continue to face. Whether it was prying the land out of Native American’s hands, or the unjust enslavement of Africans, it is not talked about enough. Because these tragedies happened so long ago, it is hard to wrap your head around them. However, reading journal entries and court transcripts, and learning about the previous laws helps educate people on the reality of the past. Marginalized groups went through one of the worst things humans could ever be subjected to, the dehumanization of mothers, fathers, children, grandmothers, you name it. It is important to recognize this and continue to move forward and fight for their equality. 

Women’s rights have also been a massive part of American history. Alongside marginalized groups, women fought for our rights; the right to an education, the right to vote, and the right to reproductive freedom. It is important to study exactly how everyone gained access to freedom in our country, so we can never let it slip away from us again.

Misconceptions about history can often lead to ignorance, which is unfortunately common in our country today. People do not understand the power one may hold when they understand the history of our nation. It allows you to track the trends of our past and current political affairs. With those trends, you may know when it's time to act and to fight for rights as citizens of the United States of America.