Why Write History?

To study history is to do history

 And the only way we can do history is to
examine the available records from the past
and then write about them. So, doing history
means writing history.
Writing History
 Writing history will help you learn history.
 Writing about history means a personal
involvement with history and this will
necessarily produce a greater
understanding of history.
Writing History
 Writing history will force you to understand history
to a much greater degree.
 But writing about this "experience" will
demonstrate your general understanding of
history. As you write, you demonstrate evidence.
You produce a logical argument.
 However, there are also times when writing allows
you to express your confusion regarding a
particular idea, event or thing. Writing allows to
you to bring that confusion to the surface and
hopefully, you'll be able to answer your own
question. At the very least, you'll be able to show
that something needs to be more fully explored.
Writing History
 Writing history gives you the chance to render your
opinion.
 Since the interpretation of history is always
subjective, writing allows you to persuade the
reader of your argument.
 Having read a variety of interpretations, you are
now prepared to voice your own. You may agree
or disagree, that much is clear.
 But the real issue at stake here is that now is the
chance to submit your interpretation.
Why write History?
 Writing history gets you in the habit of
synthesizing large quantities of material.
 Evidence must be gathered and prioritized.
 General thesis statements must be
fashioned from the evidence at hand.
 You begin to learn about the general topic
upon which you are writing as well as
several topics which appear on the
peripheries of your topic.
Why write History?
 Lastly, writing history will help you to better
organize your thoughts, that goes without
saying.
 The historian must exhibit some kind of
logic or the analysis falls apart.
 Studying history, thinking history, writing
history--in a word, doing history--is not easy.
It is difficult and requires much sustained
effort.
Why write History?
 Remember, the study of history and the
writing of history is not a passive response to
the historical past.
 History involves the active engagement of
your life with all life.
 The pastness of the past is the key to the
present.