Why I study History
For as long as I can remember History has been my favorite subject. In high school, I could always be found in the back of the class reading the years History textbook from front to back, which often got me in trouble with my other teachers. Today, in my adulthood, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time more often than ever before and, through this thinking, I have come to the realization that many “historical” events that people view to be in the distant past, can be counted (generationally) using single digit numbers. This single realization made the study of history all the more important to me, bringing events out of the distant past and making them for more relevant and contemporary. Even what we consider to be ancient history appears relatively modern when looking at it from a geological timescale. This, coupled with the understanding that humans have not changed evolutionary for some time, makes the study of our mutual ancestors even more compelling.
As far as particular time periods are concerned. Persian history is particularly interesting to me. I am half-Iranian and always enjoy learning about my ancestors. By that same token, I am also fascinated by the agricultural practices and beliefs of pre-hispanic peoples, because I also feel connected to these practices through my Mexican lineage. As I mentioned in my application, I’m also very interested in the enclosure of the British commons, as well as colonialism, particularly in Africa. My knowledge is weakest when it comes to Asian history, although I find it equally fascinating.
Hope this helps to get to know me !
It’s interesting about enclosure — you’ll see my student from last semester (if you go back through the posts) began his work with exactly that topic! Might have some leads there..and of course I’m here for any help with English history. 🙂
Hi Zall, you hit on one of the major reasons we study history, to find out more about ourselves. I think that it great that you want to study Persian and Pre-Columbian Americas. When it come to Persian history, I’ve been especially interested in Sassanid history as it has a very big impact on the development of the Islamic world.