As a field of study, history provides the context with which we define our relationship with our local community, our nation, and the world. Without the careful study and analysis of history, the lessons of the past are lost.
History offers an ordered account of past experiences and their significance in our present lives.
It transforms obscure, contradictory, and confusing events into meaningful occurrences. Analyses of how positive changes have been achieved and how evil has been confronted give us hope to strive for a better future. The past affects and shapes all of our lives. Its study connects diverse peoples together and provides a measure by which our actions, ideas, goals, and conduct can be evaluated. Knowledge of the past and an understanding of current events enables us to link causes and effects, to perceive what we must maintain or change, and to better analyze political, social, cultural, and economic events to our greatest advantage.