History is an important subject because our past ultimately helped to shape our present, and our present will essentially be history, in the future. We don't simply dismiss events that are occurring today because they will no longer be relevant in a century's time, so why should we look at the past any differently? The events that happened many years ago have influenced the subsequent events and decisions taken, and so it important for us to understand how society today has been influenced by such developments.
We all have our own personal, private, familial pasts, and History is fundamentally made up of everybody's histories, but looked at in a more joined up way. It is therefore easier for Historians to draw upon sources concerning the decisions taken by great' leaders and by influential figures than by ordinary people. This has been changing over the last few decades as Historians have come to realise that it was ordinary people who were living the past, so their perception of the world is just as valid as more public figures', although sources may not be so readily available for such individuals.
History provides us with the opportunity to understand how our legal system came into being, how our conceptions of democracy were developed, why different factions and rivalries exist globally, and perhaps offer us a glimpse of the future. Studying History is particularly important for children as it gives them some sense of unity with their fellow citizens. They may have very different life experiences, but they are still united by the events that have shaped their country and by the tributes made to the past through remembrance ceremonies and commemorative statues.
History is not just about providing children with a sense of belonging, though. History can be used in a negative way when only one viewpoint is given and when the ultimate goal is not to open children's minds up to the past, but to distort the past in order to consolidate certain notions in their minds. This is particular true of developing nations where civil war has often dominated the recent past leaving a feeling of hostility to rival tribes which is then reflected in the telling of history to children.
For most children, though, History provides the opportunity to look at how different people acted in the past and to acknowledge different interpretations of events. Teaching History is not simply a passive experience; it requires to children to question and to challenge the constructions made and the way that historical experience has been framed. History is not just for children; it is also important for adults to recognise the role that the past has played in all of our lives.
Nobody can escape history; whether centred on the individual, the local community, or at a national or international level, we cannot escape the effects of the past on the present, and so it is important for us to recognise this and to learn as much as possible about our histories in order to work towards a better future.