History #1

Paige says that studying for history is pointless because of the fact that it only portrays the "winners." I disagree with what Paige is claiming. First off, let's just say we are studying for a test in U.S. history. All history books cover mostly the same events, such as the World Wars, the Great Depression, the Civil War, and more recently the terrorist attacks of 2001. To say that history covers only the "winners" is very inaccurate. Sure our textbooks talk about all the success America has had such as winning the World Wars, but not all about that event is positive. We lost tons of soldiers who risked their lives during those wars. Now even though we won the war, not everything was a success or a victory, such as all the lives that were lost.

Furthermore, why would our textbooks talk about the Great Depression? This was a time where America was greatly struggling. This event has nothing to do with the "winners."

In addition, there is the Civil War. Half of our country against the other half. The north won the war, yet it was also a loss for the south, who was still essentially part of our country. You can't say that history only includes stories from the winners because the Civil War is a prime example of an event that portrays both the winners and the losers, and how that event shaped America to the way it is now.

More modern, back in 2001, our country experienced tragedy as the Twin Towers were destroyed by terrorists in hijacked planes. That event was not about the winners, because obviously, our country that day was attacked and greatly affected. Sure because of that we now have safer security checks so hopefully that will never happpen again. But, you can't say that all events are written by the winners, because obviously we have sections in our newer history books that are devoted to that, and we were essentially the losers, yet we still included it.

Therefore Paige, through the different events that I just discussed, all are included in America's history, yet in all of them we are not the "winners." However we still include them as part of our history.