The Pages of History

Imagine a quiet evening in the countryside. It’s almost midnight, and everyone is lying down to bed. Scarcely a sound can be heard, save for the rustle of leaves, the soft mooing of cattle, and the scuttle of nighttime creatures. Suddenly, this serenity is broken by the steady thundering of hooves on the uneven dirt road. The horse’s rider is hunched over the animal’s back, egging it to go faster. The man is on a very important mission, one that would change the course of history forever. As he passes by the dark farm houses, he shouts for all to hear, “The British are coming! The British are coming!”

Since the start of grade school, I loved listening to stories like this. I loved learning about historical people and events. I was absolutely astounded to find that things like that actually happened. I always became enthralled in the story of the American Revolution when I was in elementary school. I constantly wondered what it would be like to live in such a time, to watch people get furious about increased taxes and soldiers raiding their homes. How would I react to the news of Bostonians dumping gallons and gallons of tea into the harbor? What would it be like to hear people discuss a revolution; to fight back at the country from which we came? It was questions like this that I wanted the answers to. It was questions like this that kept my fascination in all things historical.

As I finished grade school and moved onto high school, my curiosity of the past broadened. Not only did I find the story of the American Revolution appealing, I also began taking interest in the bloody American Civil War, the infamous pirates looting the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and the tragic assassinations of famous figures. The more I understood the past, the more I began to appreciate the present and wonder how different life would be if things had gone differently. Would there be a Confederate States of America today if the South had won the Civil War? Would we still be using candles to light our homes if Thomas Edison hadn’t worked so hard to create the incandescent light bulb? And would we still be following the orders of a king miles away if we hadn’t stood up to him and demanded our independence?

I believe in history. I believe in what has been, not what is or what has yet to be. The past can be inspirational, educational, entertaining, awe inspiring, thought provoking, engaging, and moving. I find it very hard not to enjoy learning about history. There is so much yet to be found, and I plan on being one of the people to go out and uncover it all. I plan on being one of the people to make sure history continues. I plan on being one of the people to make sure Paul Revere rides on.