The title of your publicationHistory Essay Examples

I am satisfied with what I have become; a student specializing in Physics with special interests in experimental Condensed Matter Physics. I grew up in a very small town. A town not fully developed; there were very few resources and not many quality schools to acquire a solid education. I had to pass an entrance exam to get into a good school for 8th grade at a time when most students in my town would drop out of school after 7th grade in order to search for work and support their families.

My parents could not complete their undergraduate studies because they had to work to support their families, but their emphasis on the importance of education, their dedication and massive effort inspired me to search for the highest education...show more content... Physics deals with the most fundamental concepts to understand the intricate beauties of daily life. This led me to dedicate my undergraduate studies to Physics, in order to expand my knowledge of the field. I enjoy studying Physics and try to keep up with different findings by regularly reading scientific publications in Physics. During my undergraduate studies, I was attracted towards small and compact, but very effective, technologies so my brother bought me a few electronic devices to do some experiments with by taking apart the various components and figuring out how they worked. To gain the essential knowledge behind these devices, I started reading more in depth material on how the macro and micro scale properties of solid materials are related and their applications in the scaling down of devices.

To broaden my knowledge of crystallography, electromagnetism andquantum mechanics and to figure out the atomic–scale properties of solid materials, I opted to pursue a specialization in Solid State Physics for my first Master's degree program from one of the well–known universities in India, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU). After the mandatory entrance examination, I was selected as one of the 400 candidates for a personal interview and was selected as one of 25 students accepted as a graduate student to the Physics Department.

Not content with classroom material alone,

To some degree the unfamiliar country of Australia was a 'Fatal Shore', a land of suffering and hardship for the British, however after its early years, the colony began to flourish and Australia was established as being a land of opportunity. Events in Britain, such as The Industrial Revolution, encouraged people to consider migrating to Australia for a better life as many of the working class were profoundly affected. Furthermore, the increase in crime due to unemployment lead to overcrowded prisons and no destination to transport the convicts, especially after the American War of Independence in the eighteenth century. And so, the British embarked on a new settlement project, leading to long struggles for some and great opportunity for...show more content...

Enticed by news of inexpensive land and the abundance of work, free settlers were lured into the country and boatloads of migrants swarmed into Australia, thus proving that Australia was no longer a destitute place but was a land of great potential.

The British people were not met without resistance from the native Aboriginal people. Conflict, as expected, arose between the two parties, resulting in many deaths. Captain James Campbell, an officer who came with the First Fleet, wrote in a letter in 1788 that "I stumbled upon the bodies of two of our Convicts...I never saw a more shocking sight – the sculls of both were fractured, one quite open with no less than seven Spears through the body", referring to the response of the native people to the arrival of the British. For the native Aboriginals most of all, their country became one of suffering and brutality as the British brought with them diseases and unprecedented military power. John Hunter wrote in April 1789 that "Small Pox had made its appearance a few Months ago amongst these poor unfortunate Creatures...Men, Women, & Children laying dead". This provides evidence pointing to the conclusion that the arrival of the British directly resulted in Australia becoming a 'Fatal Shore' for the native people.

Convicts could find themselves living in rough

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Reflection On World History

World History seems to be a quite trivial and familiar term to me as it is used as the name of History syllabus in the local curriculum that covers development of Asia and Europe in the 20th century. However, having read Dr. Martin's article on world history, I found that what was called "World History" in secondary curriculum may not be worldhistory. World history is not only studying what happened around the world in the past, but also the training of a mindset to consider and analyse events and information in a big picture without national borders. This mindset is undoubtedly crucial and essential in the 21st century, when the global integration is happening everywhere and every day. Our activities are no longer limited within the national...show more content...

The readings provide me a variety of noteworthy and unique points of view that could help me consider if impact of nation states is as important as we usually think or not. Also, without considering nation states as the major players, world history showed how other factors or individuals affect the nation states. This can help me to understand the decision–making process of governments, which do not decide what to do, but other factors force the government to do. Before having read any world history books, it is common for me to consider history that governments are very important in history as it is how history was taught in the secondary curriculum. As a student who studied in Hong Kong curriculum, I am lucky that history was not taught in a strongly–biased national approach that the achievements in Chinese modern history are the success of CCP leadership. However, nations are still the most important players in the history. For instance, it was taught that Sino–Japanese War in 1894–95 was due to the expansion policies of Japanese governments. However, by reading world history books from the political economy aspect, the reasons for the war are much more complicated if we study the economic situation and other factors at that

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My Family History

Family history is very important to an individual. By knowing where you come from, you can have a better perspective of your life. Having a clear understanding of your family background allows you to better appreciate the things that you would normally take for granted. The house, the car, and the average clothing may look better when one sees the sacrifices their family has made. They will see that their family has worked very hard just so their family can experience the better things in life. A persons roots and origin is one of the most important things to explore. It alone can bring you closer to self–discovery.

There are two sides to a person's family and one side of my family has...show more content... One of these is that on Thanksgiving everybody comes together to my parents' house in New Jersey for a huge feast. On Christmas only my mother and the children (me and my brother) travel to Illinois to spend a week with my grandparents. On New Years Eve we all get together at my parents' house in New Jersey and toast to the New Year with champagne and apple cider. During Labor Day weekend all of my family travels to South Jersey to my grandfathers' condo. We usually spend all of our time on the beach and barbequing, except on Sunday when we go to church. After all, my grandfather is a minister. One of our biggest family traditions is going back to Puerto Rico. Every year my mother and I travel back to Puerto Rico for a portion of our summer vacation. Now that I am older I travel there more often and stay there much longer. My father never joins because he doesn't like my mothers side of the father too much and he thinks that we when we speak Spanish we are all plotting against him. Of course that's not true though. My bother doesn't speak Spanish so he doesn't like to go either. I guess that tradition is one that belongs solely to my mother and I.

The role of the people in family basically stayed the same for most of the generations with a little change in the later generations. Earlier the males were the only ones that worked in the family and the wife stayed at home and took care of the house and

Ancient Greek History

Why should one study the Ancient Greeks? There exist almost countless contributions that Greek culture has made to western society in the areas of art, literature, philosophy, drama, architecture and politics. Lasting visions of thought and inspiring intellect helped shaped today's western culture with notions of democracy and personal freedoms. Greek scientists made revolutionary discoveries in medicine, mathematics, physics, and astronomy. It was the Greeks who, through philosophy, instilled thoughtful exploration of the mind and consciousness. The beauty of their artwork and the precision of their statues reflected human development and expression of individuality. The most important reason to study the ...show more content...

Greek settlements transformed themselves into city–states, or poleis. Regions ruled by a council and a king. Their political structure was unstable because the kings often acted like tyrants to the citizens. The Aristocratic people, mostly landowners, served on the council. Many citizens were not fairly represented in this system. This caused tension, and in many cases political uprisings (Archibald p19). It is ironic that the Greek culture is given so much credit for ideas of democracy, because times of democracy seldom existed in Ancient Greece; only for short whiles between unstable governments. The Olympic Games, a great athletic contest, began in 776 BC. The Olympics marked a rise of the Greek culture, and the beginning of the Archaic Period ofGreece. During this time period, foreign culture held a great influence over Greek ideas. Artwork began to focus on human figures and of mythology. The culture soared even higher into the Classical Period, approximately 500 BC. This was the highest point of Greek creativity especially in the areas of philosophy, art, and literature. The Persian Wars began in 490 BC, with a Persian invasion in Greece led by Darius the Great of Thrace. The Greek forces were superior and crushed the invasion at Marathon, under Miltiades. In 480 BC, the Persians launched a second attack led by Xerxes and sacked and ruined Athens. The Greeks later won a decisive military victory at Salamis, they

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History Primary Sources

When writing a paper is it essential to have primary sources and allow them to lead the paper. A great primary source is Oral History, but two issues with using oral history is first collecting accurate history and then interpreting the history. Oral history is when someone records the stories told by another person about something that they witnessed. "Oral history that reveals a narrator's strong feelings and emotions will engender strong affective resonances in listeners and thus be retained.." (McHugh, 206). A personal account is powerful; the emotions that carry in the orator voices bring to home the truth behind the dry official written forms about the events. It also helps prevent "Selective memories of the winners of the battles of

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A very common question that often arises is 'When was the Internet developed or invented?" That is a good question, one that is hard to define as it has many multiple answers.

The Internet, including the World Wide Web (WWW), is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of our time. Without a doubt, it has had a profound effect on almost every aspect of our lives. The formation and implementation of the Internet has changed the way we do business, communicate, entertain, retrieve information, and even educate ourselves. Nevertheless, the Internet might have never materialized if it had not been for some innovated thinkers from the AdvancedResearch Project Agency, who created "ARPAnet."

The Internet began as a proposed plan to...show more content...

This development continued at a fast pace until an English computer scientist, Timothy Berners–Lee, for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) developed the protocols for the World Wide Web in 1989.

The Internet refers to the global information system that is logically linked together by a globally unique address space based on the Internet Protocol (IP); is able to support communications using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite; provides, uses, or makes accessible, either publicly or privately, high level services layered on the communications and related infrastructure.

Computers on the Internet may use one or all of the following Internet services:

В· Electronic mail (e–mail). Permits you to send and receive mail. Provides access to discussion groups.

В· Telnet or remote login. Permits your computer to log onto another computer and use it as if you were there.

В· FTP or File Transfer Protocol. Allows your computer to rapidly retrieve complex files intact from a remote computer and view or save them on your computer.

В· Gopher. An early, text–only method for accessing Internet documents. Gopher has been almost entirely subsumed in the World Wide Web, but

The History of Reading Essay examples

The History of Reading Anglo–Saxon Chronicle for 871 is the earliest evidence for the existence of Reading It was at some time during this period that the Roman roads radiating from Silchester began to be replaced by roads that met in Reading The area was mostly gravel and well–drained, but was close to the rivers, which provided major transport and trade routes.

By the time of the Domesday Survey (1086), Reading was a borough with a population of 500 or so. It was not important enough to have a castle.

The centre of Reading now moved eastwards. A new road was constructed, and a new bridge over the Kennet, to funnel traffic towards the new Market Place. The...show more content... Most of the trade was with London. Barges coming up the Thames would turn into the River Kennet to unload at the town wharves, which were lined with timber–yards, warehouses and granaries. The Kennet was made navigable up to Newbury in 1723, and the navigation was extended as the Kennet and Avon Canal, authorised in 1794 and completed in 1810 to give a continuous route between London and Bristol. The importance of Bristol as a port and commercial centre, and Bath as a fashionable resort, led to the improvement of the Great Western Road, which passed through the middle of Reading. In 1801, the population of Reading was about 9,400. By 1851 the population had more than doubled, to 21,500, and at the end of the century, it stood at around 59,000. The town's position, on two railway systems, helped it grow and prosper. The Great Western Rail Road was built first, connecting Reading with London in 1840, and with Bristol in 1841. The Reading, Guildford & Reigate Railway was constructed in 1849

The Twentieth Century

In the first half of the century, Reading was a large, prosperous country town, with some long–established industries and the names of local families on the sign–boards of town–centre shops.

There was not much damage to its fabric in the two wars,

The story in the second half of the century is one of gradually accelerating growth and change. Reading Borough's

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History and Memory 'Is there such a thing as "history" which is more objective than memory?'

For many years now there has been a strong debate, as regarding wether or not there is such a thing as 'history' that is more objective than memory. Due to memories completely subjective nature,history although also being somewhat subjective, it is a great deal more objective than memory. To discuss such a statement first one must define the terms 'history', 'objective' and 'memory'. The Macquarie Dictionary defines the term 'memory' as:" the mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving impressions, or of recalling or recognising previous experiences. A mental impression retained; a recollection." For the purpose of this...show more content...

David Irving's web site includes a document entitled 'Did Six Million Really Die?' This document illustrates how histories foundation on evidence constrains it partially to subjectivity. The Sydney Jewish Museum illustrates how historians know the past to be; not the past as it was in itself but the past as it appears from its traces in the present. Despite such subjective characteristics, history is more objective than memory. The fact that a historian's view of history can never be completely objective does not mean that descriptions of the world cannot tell anything objective about it. The Fiftieth Gate demonstrates how to some extent the nature of archive documents cause them to reasonably reliable and objective and when the past is well supported by abundant evidence it is reasonable to say that the history being presented is objective. The Sydney Jewish Museum in addition illustrates how history unlike memory has a systematic organised structure, which inevitably adds to its' objective nature. As a result of memories complete subjectivity, history although also being somewhat subjective; it is a great deal more objective than memory. Memory unlike history is completely subjective. Memory is composed of personal feelings or prejudice and bias. Memory privileges the private and the emotional. Against histories officialism and rationalism, memory reveals the hidden pasts, the lived and the local, the Get more content

Most universities require every student, regardless of their major, to take at least two history courses. Most students take these history courses because they are required to do so. This raises the question, why study history? What is the importance of history to a common being? History is something that has happened and is factual. By knowing these facts, its students can learn how to progress and advance not making the same mistakes. Studying history also provides a sense of respect and pride from its students towards a society. History can also help its students improve many skills needed for other fields of life. The study of history is very important to a society.

History is a relevant topic for an individual and a society to...show more content...

Ancient Athenians introduced the ideology of a rule by democracy. Without excessive study of the democracy of the Athenians and its effectiveness, America would not have been born. In order to inhibit any uprisings to power, such as that which occurred to the democracy of Romans, the government of United States introduced the concept of checks and balances between the branches of government. Without the leisure of learning from the fall of the Roman democracy and making adjustments to prevent that sort of happening, even the strongest democracy could have fallen. History is used as a tool of learning from the setting of the prices of market products to the decision to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

Famous philosopher George Santayana once said, "A country without memory is a country of madmen" (Szasz). America is a country of tremendous nationalism and tradition. To picture the respect this nation gives to its predecessors, one just needs to examine the US flag. While the flag shows fifty stars representing the fifty states, the majority of the flag is occupied by thirteen stripes giving homage to the original thirteen colonies, upon which the nation is founded. Recognizing the struggles of the people of the past brings newfound pride and patriotism to the minds of the people. An old man lying on his deathbed usually tries to remember his life from that of early childhood to the elderly present. He cherishes all the good times of the past,

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Examples Of Historical Narrative

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

The year was 1787 Elizabeth was going to her job at the clog maker on the way Elizabeth started talking to the people on the street to the way of her job. She arrived at her job where she stole the clogs and put them in her bag and acted normal during her job she worked for 5 hours then headed home and she slept and the next morning she woke up and she had the police at her door and said " You're coming to court Elizabeth" She left her home and went to court and she was accused of stealing clogs Elizabeth said to herself please don't take me away from my family she came home and said this might be the last time i see you guys the family and Elizabeth all cried and Elizabeth left to court she prayed but luck wasn't on her

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Reflection About History

Knowing and understanding the past helps open doors to the future. As the old saying goes "history repeats itself". And if we didn't study American History, there would be no hope for the future. Without the knowledge of the past, Americans couldn't prevent the negative things from reoccuring. Our nation is stronger because superiors recognized the failures in the past and prevented them from occurring in the future. History doesn't just come from a textbook in school, it is all around us. History is found in museums, books, on the internet, where statues and memorials lie, and just from stories passed down from one generation to the next. History not only explains who people were, but what they did and why. History represents America's failures, progression, and success. Through history, we learn how people fixed problems, whether it worked or not, and we can build off of those solutions to better our future as Americans. Decision makers must use history to make factual judgements in order to succeed. Take the Vietnam War for example, a war that America didn't win. Although it may be considered a loss, it was a lesson learned. America learned that war doesn't solve everything, but we do know how to pick and choose our battles now. My grandpa is a Vietnam veteran, he was in the 101st airborne for the Army. He came home from the war shamed, just as all the other veterans were. At that time people weren't accepting the failure and learning from it, but the people of Get more content

What is history? Should we study history? Who creates history? Is history relevant?

The definition of history, is a question which has sparked international debate for centuries between the writers, readers, and the makers of history. It is a vital topic which should be relevant in our lives because it?s important to acknowledge past events that have occurred in our world that deeply influences the present. This essay will discuss what history is, and why we study it.

History is the study of past events leading up to the present day. It is a research, a narrative, or an account of past events and developments that are commonly related to a person, an institution, or a place. It is a branch of knowledge that records and analyzes...show more content... Focusing on the people involved in a time, place, and series of events makes history. Biographies and historical fiction may popularize these entities/figures with descriptions of people who lived in the past or events that happened in the past. Such Historical figures and events include King Leopold II of Belgium and The Scramble of Africa in the late 19th century. Among other things, King Leopold II of Belgium (1835–1909), is known for the exploitation of Congo and the mass murder of its citizens as told in King Leopold?s Ghost by Adam Hochschild. King Leopold II of Belgium, created and ironically erased history by ultimately slashing the area's population by ten million during his reign in the Congo, and still managed to shrewdly foster a reputation as a great humanitarian. In telling this story, Hochschild gave detailed descriptions, especially of the individuals involved, both good and bad. Set in the palaces and boardrooms of Europe and in the villages of central Africa, it tells the story of the tragedy that took place during Leopold's so called rule. This ?horror? story gives and reveals the utter most secrets of the respected King Leopold. Prior to his colonization, In the mid–1870s, the King hired then world renowned explorer Henry Morton Stanley, who was familiar with many parts of Africa, to help him go about conquering. During the following years Stanley stayed throughout in central Africa, talking various tribes into signing over their

Personal Reading History When I was a younger I don't remember if I was read to or not, but I read a lot of books. I enjoy reading books because they allow me to reach new heights in my imagination. At my age many kids say that reading is boring and is for losers. I think it's cool to read and will continue to read throughout my life. I have read many different types of books from fiction to biographies. The longest book I ever read was a book called Dragon Rider by Cornella Funke. It was five hundred and thirty five pages! When it comes to reading I am a superstar!

When I'm reading I am able to get a moral lesson from what I read, so it ends up helping me in the long run of my life I have had numerous amounts of positive...show more content... She also taught me to finish something if I started it, and that carried over to my reading. If I start reading a book I always finish it and do my best to understand it. So, she instilled what I know about reading and she influenced the way I read. She always told me, when I was younger, to pronounce my words right so that when I get older I would pronounce my words right. All that she has said to me and taught me when I was coming up as a younger child helped me get to the level of reading I am on today and also to the level of understanding I have of all the words I read. Without her encouraging me in this way I would have had problems understanding things that I read and wouldn't be as smart as I have grown to be. I am very thankful of how I was brought up as a kid. When I'm reading, it doesn't really matter where I read. When I'm reading I go into a different world and get to a place where I feel as if I'm part of the story and can relate to the main character and what he or she is going through. Also, when I'm reading I think the best place for me would be where it's quiet because I find it easier to concentrate in silence. I also read better when I'm upset because it gives me an outlet to release anger and allows me to get my work done. All throughout my life, I've had many good experiences reading. When it comes to reading, for me, good reading just comes

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THE EFFECTS OF WORLD WAR I ON POLITICAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES As you read in Chapter 21 "An Emerging World Power," the government clamped down hard on those who dissented from the war and on those who held radical or unpopular opinions. In this assignment you will explore how political and ethnic minorities were treated during and after World War I. Definition: A "minority" is anyone who is not like or does not agree with the majority. It does not have to mean an ethnic or racial minority. The questions you will consider are "How were political and ethnic minorities treated during and after World War I? Why were they treated as they were?" Analyze each source in the file "Sources_World_War_I" using the chart below. The...show more content...

It revealed that if you're not loyal to this country than the majority feels that you don't belong. A German–American man was the minority in this situation THE CRISIS MAGAZINE Was an article written by the NAACP stating how many of our black men were drafted and had to fight in war for our country but yet when the war ends we have to come back to only being the minority again having no say so or equality. Basically America was a war within itself. Democracy was saved in France so it can be saved in America as well. That you can go defend your country but still come back from war and have no say so, no rights. African–american THE RED SUMMER OF 1919 Occurred in the summer and fall of 1919. There were race riot and massacre happening in the north and south. One that started in Chicago left a black boy dead he drowned but instead of the white men getting arrested the police arrested a black man and that's when the stone throwing began. Violence escalated for 13 days leaving 23 blacks and 15 whites dead with hundreds injured. And 1000 black families homeless. All the incidents were started by whites.in D.C four whites and two blacks were killed. In Arkansas a race riot lasted for 3 days after one night some blacks were having a tenant and sharecroppers meeting at a church when two white law enforcers arrived at the church. Shots were exchanged and one white officer was killed. This Get more content

Historical Perspective Essay

518

University of Phoenix

December 16, 2012

Historical Perspective Essay The theory of adaption model developed over 40 years ago by nursing theorist Castilla Roy, is used in many fields of nursing especially areas of humanities and human science. Nursing theory provides the structural framework necessary for practice, and helps to further nursing knowledge providing an understanding of the scientific process, and the nurse's role in the health care setting (Colley, 2003). According to Shosha and Kaladeh (2012) Roy's model provided the nursing profession with a framework to help further model–based research with a methodological soundness not yet known to the profession. This short essay will...show more content... For example, theories vary in their level of abstraction with the more abstract a grand theory and the less abstract a middle range theory (MRT). Roy developed a grand theory that the person is basically an adaptive system, considering the person holistically. Roy's grand theory lead to a separate middle–range theories broken down into four adaptive modes: physiological mode, self concept mode, role function mode, and interdependence mode (Fawcett, 2005). Roy saw the concept related to person, environment, and nursing as a central part of nursing practice. She also defines the goal of nursing as promotion of the four adaptive modes. For instance, if a person's physical and emotional needs are met, he or she is more likely experience faster healing with better outcomes. In this aspect the nurse becomes a key player in helping to promote an adaptive environment. An example of physiological modes related to adaption can be providing basic needs (i.e., rest, nutrition, oxygen, elimination). Meeting the psychosocial needs could incorporate helping a person cope by meeting their spiritual or emotional needs. Conclusion Research is important for the improvement to further the knowledge in nursing providing evidence based practice nursing theory. Models such as the RAM have significiantaly contributed to the discipline of evidenced based practice in

I grew up living in London and New York, and I now live in San Francisco. These historically rich cities have exposed me to a variety of cultures, people and traditions. Reflecting on these experiences has made me realize how my personal history has shaped my life and made me who I am. Being aware of how diverse the human race is makes me want to study our origins further. I think it's important to understand that we all share one human history. We need to appreciate all cultures and learn from each other. I want to contribute to the future of our world. I believe studying History and International Relations will equip me with the knowledge to make a difference. I see myself as a global citizen and will bring an international approach to my studies at university.

Memories of early visits to the...show more content...

Everything we learn comes from what's been discovered before. It's important to understand the past, so we are better prepared for the future. While studying at high school in California, I began to have a greater appreciation of history and the places I'd visited as a child. Taking AP European History was my first experience of a rigorous, college–level course. My determination to succeed was evident in how I conducted research, analysis and presented my opinions in essays and group discussions. My history notebooks are used as examples for future students. I've taken World History, US History and AP Psychology classes. The study of human behaviour gave me a greater understanding of the psychological factors that affect people's actions. I see history as a collection of stories about human behaviour, recorded for future generations. My history teacher's area of interest is the US Women's Rights Movement, which resonates strongly with me. She suggested I read Yellow Wallpaper (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This short story is about the narrator's progressive decline into insanity, due to oppression by her husband and societal norms. I found it Get more content

A People's History of the United States 1492– Present by Howard Zinn takes a realistic viewpoint that is not seen in many textbooks, and that is exactly the point. Zinn writes about the dark sides of United States icons, which students are rarely taught about. Through historical examples, such as Christopher Columbus' treatment of Native American Arawak Indians,Zinn supports his thesis. In Zinn's book, he displays his displeasure with the way Americans are taught glorified history, as does another author, James Axtell, in his article, "Colonial Americawithout the Indians: Counterfactual Reflections", while in another article by Axtell, "The Moral Dimensions of 1492", he states that although the truth should not be hidden, if stressed...show more content...

In Axtell's second piece he tells the reader that even though we should not hide the fact that Columbus and our other heroes were not perfect, we should not forget all the good they have done once all the facts are considered. For instance, although Columbus took advantage of the Indians and their goods, he gained wealth, as did the Indians that both had previously never enjoyed. Through his discoveries, Columbus cleared the way for the expansion of the European colonies in the Americas. In contrast Zinn suggests that we should think about what that person did to others to become so famous. Lastly an interesting contrast is between Axtell's first and second piece. This is particularly so because it is an opposing viewpoint by the same author. In his first piece Axtell demonstrates how when we refer to heroes such as Columbus, we fail to mention (in depth at least) their oppression of others, in this case, the Indians. In his second piece Axtell suggests that if we strictly look from the viewpoint of the downtrodden we can make our heroes out to seem much worse then they really were. Each of the articles demonstrates historical perspective by how we view leaders throughout history. Zinn's reason for writing is to prove his displeasure in the glorified way our leaders are presented to American students, and ignoring the side of the lesser people. Zinn wants the reader to Get

The definition of history, is a question which has sparked international debate for centuries between the writers, readers, and the makers of history. In the words of acclaimed historian Edward Gibbon, "History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind." A more romantic view on the subject was taken by Cicero. He said, "History is the witness that testifies the passing of time. It illuminates reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance of daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity" History, described in the simplest of terms, can be seen as a record of events that have occurred in the past that the historian has taken the trouble to document. It is the...show more content...

There is of course the argument, that even primary source evidence can be somewhat tainted. Propaganda by rulers and governments has been used a major tool to promote popularity amongst their people. For example, in Russia at the turn of the century writers who wrote critically about the internal affairs of government were censured, persecuted and sometimes imprisoned or executed. In 1537 to 1574, The massive censorship exercised by Cosimo I de' Medici of Florence precipitated a decline in historiography in Florence. The extreme wealth and power of the Medici family extended even further into the art of the Renaissance period and their depiction was prevalent as saintly figures in the works of these artists. Fear of persecution could drive an otherwise intelligent scholar to be biased and one sided. Even today bias and prejudice is apparent in the accounting of daily events in newspapers and television. The events revealed to the public are those which the editor or director chooses to be relevant. The Daily Telegraph for example, is widely perceived as being supportive of the Tories. In the world of films we never read 'this is a true story' in the credits but that it is 'based on a true story'. The director, has used artistic licence to inject either a romantic or

What is History? Essay

What is History?