History Is Our Past Teaches Us About Our Life?

History also helps prepare one to face the future, so one does not repeat the same mistakes. The quote “History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future” explains that history is not something one can program and plan out. History is information of events of what happened such as, how one’s background and places came to be, so one does not have to question life and the world. History also helps one by revealing important information that can be used to help improve the future. For example, 9/11 was a terrible event that had happened in 2001. People use that piece of information and make a better future. After the event, the security of airports and the military was improved drastically to prevent the mistakes from happening again. If the same mistake were to happened again, money and time would be wasted to recover the damages and many people will lose their lives. The quote means one cannot program and plan out history for the future, but history can be used as information to understand the world and improve the

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history. We are made of history.”

History is a subject that can define a person’s heritage. Each one is different, but can have a few similarities. Each person’s history can explain where their family originated, the culture that they are originally from, the struggles that their family encountered, and so much more. But the most important thing that a person’s history can show, is how they ended up where they are today.

In their essays; Why Study History and A Shield Against Fate and It’s Consequences, Diane Ravitch and T.H. Watkins, respectively, each make a case for why history history should be taught, and their arguments can be summarized by the above quote, an excerpt from Watkin’s piece. Where Ravitch focuses on the how it can improve intelligence, Watkins believes the significance of learning history lies in it’s ability to increase hope. They both, however, implicitly state that knowing about the past will make us better prepared to deal with and shape the future.

The lessons of our past can me cited in an abounding amount of ways and these lessons have been being passed down from generations to generations. From being told in stories by grandparents who fought the wars and through documents and artifacts left behind and found that give us this greater understanding of our past. Our history has taught us many lessons and these are important to fathom because it has guided us and been the foundation to our world. We don’t want our history to be forgotten and basic American history is already beginning to fade from our knowledge. A basic study about American history was given to 2,500 random citizens from all backgrounds by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. The test was a simple 33 questions on civic

Alejandra Dubcovsky author of To understand Science, Study history acknowledges that it is important to study history because history helps us understand past experiences. It does not change and it helps us progress in many different fields. “To be sure, knowing those stories and this history does not change the results of an experiment, alter biology, or change the laws of physics. But the stories--the historical sensitivity--emphasize the contingency and the human decisions, struggles, and misgivings found even in the hardest of sciences. STEM is neither excused nor separate from its past.” (Alejandra Dubcovsky paragraph 10). Often times we do not realize how much history impacts our lives daily and is accountable for where we are today as

“One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth.”

“History, I am convinced, is not just something to be left to the historians.” - Warren Susman

Our country’s history has definitely had its ups and downs, but we have grown as a nation and as a people through the many tragedies and victories alike. However, we must keep in mind that experiences of the past do not stop affecting us and in no way become useless to us just because they’re in the past. If we decide to use them properly, they are a crucial tool in the cultivation of our future. By knowing our history and studying our predecessors’ actions and reasoning, we will be better informed when deciding what actions to take or not to take in the present. Better informed decisions lead to actions with better outcomes and, eventually, a better future.

Colonial inheritance has had a serious effect on all Africans lives and has irreversibly changed the continent and its people forever. The impact of apartheid is evident when analyzing Mxolisi and Nelson Mandela’s lives. Both men were exposed to similar oppressive environments as they lived in South Africa during apartheid, though their stories show generational differences. Mandela was an activist early in the apartheid regime and then spent a significant period of his life in jail until the end of the regime as he took part in reassessment of apartheid and negotiations. Mxolisi was born and raised during Apartheid and much of his experiences growing up took place while Mandela was in jail. These two men were both victims of colonial inheritance and apartheid, which lead them to extreme measures as they acted in protest of an oppressive government with the hope that they might gain back power, rights, and freedom for themselves and the South African people.

I have always thought that Nelson Mandela has been one of the most important people in history. I find it very fascinating that one man could end the Apartheid and that is why I want to find out more about this. South Africa is a country with a past of enforced racism and separation of its multi-racial community. The White Europeans invaded South Africa and started a political system known as 'Apartheid' (meaning 'apartness'). This system severely restricted the rights and lifestyle of the non-White inhabitants of the country forcing them to live separately from the White Europeans. I have chosen to investigate how the Apartheid affected people’s lives, and also how and why the Apartheid system rose and fell in South Africa.

The most compelling story of fighting aggravated oppression and injustice occurred in twentieth century South Africa. The symbol of Nelson Mandela being released from prison after decades of confinement represents the roaring social prejudice, and on an even more prominent and apparent scale, the economic discrimination of the “native” South African people during the apartheid era, a generation of discrimination based on race. The social and economic hierarchy of South Africa, one which placed blacks at the bottom, traces back to the colonization period of the country. As a time of warfare and a sense of white entitlement, where Dutch and English settlers claimed South Africa for the country’s location and resources, European colonizers’ main goal was continuing their enforcement of status and power within global society. Mainly through the Anglo-Boer Wars, the sense of unity and culture held by Africans was dismantled as European powers encroached onto South African soil, and separated themselves from black Africans to portray themselves as the international authority.

Every country has a story to how it made a name for itself regardless if it was good or bad. Today the beautiful South Africa is known as the rainbow nation, for it’s diversity in culture. However, that name was earned after many blood rivers and broken homes.These “blood rivers and broken homes” I speak of occurred during an era called Apartheid. The name “Apartheid” is an afrikaans name which means segregation. It took fifty years for South Africa to redeem itself from being known, for violence and destruction. Liberation and freedom was in high demand but it wasn’t up for trade. The National Party Government of South Africa was a white government who loved the gift they had seen in South Africa however, who likes sharing gifts?

The most compelling story of fighting flagrant oppression and injustice occurred during the twentieth century in South Africa. The symbol of Nelson Mandela being released from prison in the late nineties after decades of confinement represents the roaring social prejudice, and on an even more prominent scale, the economic discrimination of the “native” South African people during the apartheid era. The social and economic hierarchy of South Africa, one which placed blacks at the bottom, traces back to the colonization period of the country. As a time of warfare which exacerbated a widely held sense of divine entitlement, the colonization era provided the Dutch and English settlers with the power to claim South Africa for the country’s location and resources in order to assert their global dominance. The desire to remain an international influence resulted in the settlers implementing several different systems of oppression, some of which still have lasting effects in South Africa, even in the present day. The identity of South Africa eroded as the Europeans remained in the country. Mainly through the Anglo-Boer Wars, the sense of unity and culture held by Africans was dismantled as Europeans continued to encroach onto South African soil and separate themselves from black Africans to portray their culture as the international authority.

It is important for our youth of today in South Africa to know what our great leaders and ordinary people of our country went through for us to gain freedom and equal rights in this country