Even some of those who very much disagree with Marx's belief that history reveals that mankind is inevitably headed for a communist future believe that history is economics in action. The Crusades were, they claim, an attempt by the West to capture trade routes to the East, and the discovery of America was the result of the failure of the Crusades. That is, another route to the East was sought as a result of their failure. The French revolution, they claim, occurred because the middle classes had risen to econmic leadership and needed legislative freedome because it would promote their enterprises and trade. Also, they itched for social acceptance and political power in line with their economic importance.
Historical perspective enhances our appreciation of current events.
For example, those familiar with the history of the peoples populating the former Soviet Union and the Balkans are not surprised by the turbulence and violence in this part of the world in recent years. Some differences between black societies in Africa and in the United States may be attributable to slavery. A historian's role is the bring order out of a jumble of events so that lessons can be drawn from them for application to today's problems. In order find meaning in past events, facts must be organized in a logical manner. Suppose you gave someone copies of every edition of Atlanta's newspapers between 1900 and 1970 and asked them to construct a picture of what life was like there during this period.