One challenge in the study of history is finding relevant, personal connections with the material. That is, how do we connect our own lives with an investigation into American history?
Keep that in mind as you address the following questions:
In your own words, define history. What is history, and why is it important to know history, or is it important?
How does your own past – your own personal history – inform how you define history? Feel free to treat this question as an invitation to offer a brief history of yourself.
Finally, as we will discuss this semester, historians choose what to include and what not to include in their writings and interpretations. Do you think you have done this in this paper – including some aspects of yourself and excluding others? Explain.