History is Dying

I started this blog November of 2015, as a way to get people interested in the Civil War beyond what I describe as "Textbook" history. The more I learn working in Gettysburg and the more people I teach about the civilians of the Civil War, the more I see people just don't care about history anymore.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are those of you reading this right now thinking, "Abbie, what are you talking about? That's why I'm here!" And I would respond that yes, you're crazy, one of the oddballs who actually cares about what General 'So-and-So' did and where, or care about the civilians who lived through it.

And that's completely okay. This is a haven for all us history nerds alike.

But we have a job to do.

The millennial generation has been really on my mind here lately. They're the ones (The ones in school/college right now) who seem to have no place for history. (You history majors are excluded since you're crazy like me!) Oh sure, you've got history best sellers and most museums are doing pretty well, but what's the age group usually? Seniors and families on vacation. You don't find near enough young people interested in history, especially if they live in close proximity. 

You see a ton of locals on the "free" days cause everyone likes things to be free. BUT. Getting the locals excited about history shouldn't be limited just to these free days! It's like when a store runs Black Friday sales. Yes, there's great sales that only last for a short amount of time, but you still go to the store the week before and the week after! Why can't we embrace history like this?!

Okay, so yes I'm ranting. But.

How are we supposed to get the next generation to appreciate history if we could care less??

In the last two weeks, I've heard a lot of good reasoning millennials are using against history. I'd like to go through some of these and expose the excuses, while also voicing some of their real issues. As most of these apply toward visiting the Gettysburg battlefield, they'll be focused mainly on that. 

Read on. I'm sure you've used at least one of these:

Why I Don't Like History

1. I could go whenever I want
2. That was my school field trip
3. There's students everywhere!
4. History in school was so boring!
5. It doesn't apply anymore
6. Its too expensive
7. I don't have time

1. I could go whenever I want

This is very true. Its so available that you could drive to Walmart and pass a monument. I'll give you this one.

2. That was my school field trip

Yes you've been there, done that, probably got the T-shirt. But there is never a "been there, done that" for anywhere if you think about it. In the short time of my being around Gettysburg, so many changes have been made, both good and bad. New places come and go, and the museums that were here are adapting and only getting better! Especially with field trips having to be so quick, there's no way you could grasp half of what you're hearing cause you're too busy going from place to place. There's always more to learn.

3. There's students everywhere!

So many kids come to Gettysburg every year. They crowd every restaurant, shop or museum. But that's the point! Students are at the influential age; if we can get them interested from early on, we'll have them hooked. Ask most history buffs out there- they started loving history young.

4. History in school was so boring!

This is my favorite because I AGREE!!! I talked about my "textbook" history theory in the beginning, and what I mean by that is I have never met a history textbook I've liked. They have to be so objective- only telling you so much so you're not overwhelmed (and you are anyway) while covering a HUGE amount of ground in 1 year's worth. Yes, it's all memorization. It's a basic overview. It's not meant to be anything more. That's what battlefields like Gettysburg are for- to give you the 'more information'. Textbooks can't tell you about what happened to the people during the battle, or even have the freedom to go into detail on much of anything. Textbooks don't have time to tell you why you should care. They just tell you the facts.

5. It doesn't apply anymore

Uh, yes it does! Just look at the problems we're dealing with today. (Rights, political uproars, economic dips) We need to take the wisdom of the leaders who have already dealt with these same problems, and use them to our advantage.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

~George Santayana~

 

"First of all we have to get across the idea that we have to know who we were if we're to know who we are and where we're headed."

~David McCullough~

6. It's too expensive

This one is also true, especially for a young millennial short on cash. With most museums out there having a fee, it's hard to have an overall picture of the battlefield as you're forced to strategize where to spend your small amount of money. But there are some free programs out there, battle walks and some museums also have free admission. So if you combine that with using the free days, that takes care of some. But again, it takes strategy and usually that's the opposite of what people want.

7. I don't have time

Well America, we need to make time! History is dying. Certain ethnicities pass stories down from generation to generation on cave walls or just mouth to mouth. What are we doing? Giving our children the textbooks, and trusting those alone? Well, that's not good enough. Textbooks were never designed to tell children why they should care about a field with a rock wall at one end. They don't care about the giant rock general on a horse. 

That's the job I mentioned earlier. It's hard work, but we have to get people, locals, children, everyone alike to care about history or someday there will not be any history to tell.

We have to care about history or we are 'condemned to repeat it'. Are we going to be doomed for another civil war because politically we can't get along? We've seen what happens when war erupts-700,000 lives are gone. Just gone. And I don't mean literally we're going to get our guns off our walls and go join the American Civil War 2.0, but what I mean is this: 

History, if told correctly, tells us the good and bad of the way this nation was created. If we don't embrace that, we're never going to learn from their mistakes. Yes, most founding father led plantations, and owned slaves. Yes, some presidents were failures and yes, even my legend, Abraham Lincoln, did some things I don't agree with. But they're human, just as much as me and you. 

 If nothing else, keep an open mind about history. If you think a huge museum is boring, fine! There's a program for everyone. And I mean it. Don't be afraid to embrace history. And who knows? You might actually find it interesting.