What is history?

Question

I'm writing a history essay on the topic "history" and it's asking us to tell them what we think history means.

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History ;-)

Answer 2

It is how we define ourselves as a people or cultural group. Supposedly we are to learn from history and not make the same mistakes that we have as a people in the past. But cultural bias slips in. History changes as our views on people's past actions changes, it is just as much a reflection on our current society as it is an opinion on the past.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was not thought to be all that great a president until about 40 or 50 years after his death and all the implications of the Civil War were thought out by historians?

A great example of cultural bias is how historians have treated the US history term "Manifest Destiny" and the history of American Indians over the last 150 years.

Answer 3

A chronological record of events, as of the life or development of a people or institution, often including an explanation of or commentary on those events: a history of the Vikings.
A formal written account of related natural phenomena: a history of volcanoes.
A record of a patients medical background.
An established record or pattern of behavior: an inmate with a history of substance abuse.
The branch of knowledge that records and analyzes past events: “History has a long-range perspective” (Elizabeth Gurley Flynn).

The events forming the subject matter of a historical account.
The aggregate of past events or human affairs: basic tools used throughout history.
An interesting past: a house with history.
Something that belongs to the past: Their troubles are history now.
Slang. One that is no longer worth consideration: Why should we worry about him? He's history!
A drama based on historical events: the histories of Shakespeare.

Answer 4

The socially agreed upon "importances" that have, possibly, occured in the past; the socially agreed upon ideas about the past become a tool. It is also unprovable, because we cannot really say what has happened a second ago, because people always see the world differently, and create a story to back it up, to give it meaning; ultimately though, no one can completely agree on what the world or life is this second, so how can we every completely agree on present objects to show us the past. I would say history is the best story ever, if you can achieve experiencing it all.

Answer 5

History is very complicated issue to deal with. You can't just say that it is a record of the past because it is more than this. I think that history is all about interpreting the past, not recording it. Its about taking events and learning from them. Its about contributing to an understanding of present circumstances, as well as future possibilities. History is didactic! If you need anything else, just find this book. Its called “Historian’s conscience” by Stuart McIntyre. Good Luck :)

Answer 6

History is a story or detail about an event that seems significant.
what one person considers significant will differ from another, and there may be many versions of history as we distort the facts to fit our own adgenda.

Answer 7

History is the word used to describe the past of any person place or thing.

Answer 8

technically history is the record of all things that have happened from the past to the present, so history really only started as soon as the first for of documented writing occured, too bad i can't remember when that was.

Answer 9

History is the fiction we write in order to provide ourselves with emotionally satisfying stories about the past.

Sorry, I'm just a little cynical about "official" history and even more so about "revisionist" history.

Answer 10

History is really "his story". It is a bunch of facts recorded either during certain incidents or afterwards, by the male dominated, patriarchal socities that have existed all over the world, from the beginning of time.

Answer 11

History is the changes that are made over time, being recorded and preserved to teach future generations the mistakes made or the good things that occured and who did them!