Why Study History?
History is not just, "In fourteen-hundred and nine-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Yes, there are dates and places to be remembered, but there is so much more to the story. When studying history, it is not about the here and now, it is about what actually happened and the events leading up to topic studied. What do I mean by this? Lets take a look at the American/ Middle East foreign policy from the mid 1800's until now. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries America was seen as a friend. Why? And more to the point, what events have created the tensions between the US and Middle East?
This is where history comes in. What was going on in the in the late 19th and early 20th century that created strong ties with the Arab nations? At first it was missionary work, but that failed miserably. Then the missionaries changed tactics and became teachers. They built schools and brought higher education to the region. What else did they like about us? America had no imperialistic ideas within the region during the early twentieth century, meaning, there was nothing there that the US wanted. To this day there are still American Colleges in Beirut and Tehran. The positive view of America began to change with the discovery of the seemingly endless supply of oil underneath the Middle East. Britain and France took over mandates within the region and the Arabs wanted America to be the mediator and advocate for Arab self determination as laid out in Wilson's Fourteen Points. They wanted America to do this because they still believed there were no American wants from the land. How wrong they were. Around the same time, antisemitism throughout Europe brought Jews together with one goal in mind, a national home (or country) of their own. America wanted access to the oil and a say within the region, and even though the King-Crane Commission, an independent study regarding the territory in question, sided with the Arabs of Palestine, Israel was created and they became a Westernized beacon and voice for American interests within the Arab controlled area. Without the study of history, one would have no idea as to why tensions in the Middle East are so high and also why America was once called the Great Satan by Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran. There are many more stories like this that have shaped the world that we currently live in. Without the study of these events the same mistakes would be made over and over. History serves as a roadmap that shows how the world is the way it is today, and why. This is why we study history. |
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