Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Top 5 Reasons to Study the History of America

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This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of a PhD. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com

The story of the United States of America is one of the greatest success stories in world history thus far. From its humble beginnings to its current position as one of the main leading voices in the world, the history of the US is both rich and intriguing, while at the same time incredibly violent and, at times, astonishing. Learning more about the history of the US isn’t just for public school students; there are many different things out there to suit one’s interests—all you have to do is look for them.

Sheer Determination

The original settlers of the first colonies in the US were pioneers in the truest sense of the word. It is hard to believe that these people made it through the harsh winters without any real infrastructural support in an unknown land. The determination to stay and develop the lands they “discovered” is practically mythology in the annals of American history.

Learning Curve

Our nation is not very old; there are churches in Europe that are hundreds of years older than the US. This being said, there has been a significant learning curve in the leadership of this country over the years. From the travesty of slavery to the eradication of Native Americans, our leaders have made many mistakes in the past. The wounds suffered by the victims of these crimes of humanity and their heirs still run deep for many.

A Unique System

Our government is certainly one-of-a-kind. Though it is a democracy, there are so many intricacies when dealing with the inner workings of such a large and diverse country. The foundations for an extremely successful country are still being laid; our fledgling country has grown by leaps and bounds and is still learning how to best deal with certain problems and situations.

Innovation Station

The US has been ground zero for a number of some of the greatest—and most terrible—innovations and technologies in human history thus far. Technological advances abound, while our spirit of exploration has taken us beyond the borders of our atmosphere and into outer space. As the world continues to grow and change, count on the US to play a major role in the molding of the future.

The Future is Unwritten

If we look back just 125 years, we were still fighting Native Americans for territory. Sixty or so years ago, there still weren’t 50 states in our nation. While no one is expecting any drastic changes are foreseeable, history teaches us that nothing can stay the same and that often it repeats itself. Studying the history of the US can help us to make educated decisions when changes start to occur.

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