Discovering History
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            • U1: The American Revolution & the Constitution
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​What is History?

Below are some snippets from thinkers, writers, political leaders, and others who have reflected on the question of "What is history?" As you read the list below, consider which ones come closest to your own ideas about the purpose and practice of history. You might also consider particular historical events (and their retelling) that might fit the quotes below.
​

Attempting an answer

"The tradition of all dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brains of the living."
—Karl Marx


“Appeals to the past are among the commonest of strategies in interpretations of the present.”
—Edward Said


“The past is a foreign country.”
—L.P. Hartley


“The past does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
—Mark Twain


“History is . . . an argument without end.”
—A.M. Schlesinger, Jr.


“History is not a science; it is a method.”
—Charles Seignobos


“We learn from history that we never learn anything from history.”
—G. W. F. Hegel


“All modern wars start in the history classroom.”
—Anonymous


“Nothing has really happened until it has been recorded.”
​—Virginia Woolf
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
—George Santayana


“The farther back you look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”
—Winston Churchill


“The victor will always be the judge, and the vanquished the accused.”
—Herman Goering


“ ‘History’ is a Greek word which means, literally, just ‘investigation’.”
—Arnold Toynbee


“History must be written of, by and for the survivors.”
—Anonymous


“History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.”
—Napoleon Bonaparte 


"History is a weapon."
​—Howard Zinn
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  • Courses
    • China's Rise and Fall (spring 2018) >
      • Course Info
      • In Class
      • Assignments + Units
    • Archived Courses >
      • Living China's History >
        • Living China's History (fall 2017) >
          • Course Information
          • Course Project
          • In-Class
          • Assignments
        • Living China's History (fall 2018) >
          • In-Class >
            • The Death of Woman Wang
          • Assignments
      • China's Fall and Rise (spring 2018) >
        • Course Information
        • In-Class
        • Assignments
      • Japan's Empire and its Legacies (fall 2016) >
        • Course Information
        • Daily Review
        • Schedule >
          • JE Unit 1
          • JE Unit 2
          • JE Unit 3
          • JE Unit 4
          • JE Unit 5
          • JE Unit 6
        • Research >
          • Issues of History
          • Research Schedule >
            • Checkpoint #2: Annotated Bibliography
            • Checkpoint #3: Outline
            • Checkpoint #4: Supplemental Pages
      • Thinking about a Changing China (spring 2017) >
        • Course Information
        • In Class
        • Assignments
      • Humanities History (U.S. History) >
        • Humanities History (2017-18) >
          • Course Information
          • In-Class
          • Assignments
        • Humanities History (2016-17) >
          • Course Information
          • In Class
          • Assignments >
            • U1: The American Revolution & the Constitution
            • U2: Defining the Nation
            • U3: 19th Century Social & Cultural Transformations >
              • Cemetery Project
            • U4: A House Divided
            • U5: Industry & Empire
            • U6: Progressive Promise & Disillusion
            • U7: Global Conflicts
            • U8: Civil Rights & Human Rights
      • More Course Descriptions
    • Student Projects >
      • "Communism" (Independent Study)
      • "Issues of History" (Japan's Empire and its Legacies)
  • Skills
    • Reading >
      • Active Reading
      • Advanced Reading Strategies (Upper Mids and Seniors)
      • Outlining for Reading
      • Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
      • Analyzing Primary Sources with SOAPSTone
      • Analyzing Visual Primary Sources
      • Selecting & Evaluating Secondary Sources
    • Thinking >
      • What is History?
      • Historical Thinking Chart (PDF)
      • Breaking Down History with the SPICE Factors
    • Discussing >
      • Engaging in Class Discussion
      • Evaluating Discussion
    • Researching >
      • Identifying Research Topics & Questions
      • Note Cards
    • Writing >
      • Zero Draft
      • Thesis Statements
      • Forming Counterarguments
      • Formatting Chicago-Style Papers
      • Ford Library Guide to Chicago-style Citations (PDF)
    • Tech Tips
  • Reference
    • Chinese History Tools
    • Further Reading in Asian Studies >
      • Books
      • News
      • Podcasts
    • Current Events around the World
  • About
    • About
    • Writing