History is the known record of the human past. It is a science...and an art. The perfect marriage between
empiricism and poetry. History is an outward expression of mankind's innate desire to recount his own deeds--great or
small--to some audience.
There are several types of history. Written records form a large corpus of what most people would consider
history. These accounts deal with a variety of topics including politics, culture, religion, and economics. But
history is not just something that is written down, history may also reside in the oral traditions of societies without
written language.
Simple, right? If only it were that simple. Sincere history is grounded in the search for truth--the
truth about the past. Unfortunately, history is not always about the truth. Historians can be swayed by agenda,
ambition, and nationalism, just to name a few. History can be used to manipulate. However, history can also be
used to inspire, supplement research, and correct past mistakes.
Modern historical method is exacting, but history is certainly not an exact science. Medievalist Dr. John Howe
said it best when he stated "the best that we historians can do is make probability statements." As historians,
we often work with incomplete records. However, this should not disuade us from endeavoring make as complete a narrative
as possible using the sources we have.
On this page you will soon find articles of historical interest and recommended readings. Stay tuned for updates.
