When discussing any topic, it’s useful to start with definitions so that everyone involved is on the same page. I sincerely believe this is one of the reasons for the political polarization we see in the United States today, a lack of common, agreed-upon definitions. Instead, terms like “family values” or “immigration” are tossed around and people nod or shake their heads at whoever is using the term, depending upon the definition they are operating…
History is in use all around us for a variety of purposes. The Pragmatic Historian’s “Using History” series is meant to highlight some of these uses by presenting a few articles and other online resources each week. [Reuters] Giant sloth vs. ancient man: fossil footprints track prehistoric hunt – By using 3D modeling, scientists have been able to analyze the footprints of giant sloths and ancient humans to see how sloths were hunted. Not only…
A major, current conversation within the history community is how to show people the relevance of history to their lives. There’s even a History Relevance campaign with an associated website. It is my belief that people don’t recognize history’s relevance because history is too much like air. It surrounds us and is embedded in our lives so deeply that we simply don’t notice it. History is the succession of events on earth. (Well, the succession…