Why Is History Important?

Winning in the American Revolution meant no longer being ruled by the British monarchy, which gave the newly established government the ability to make their own choices, but was this freedom for everyone? No, although, it was a step in the right direction. I used to think history was the study of past events and the causes or consequences that led to the present. However, I failed to realize that history also pertains to recognizable patterns and human behavior, in other words, history is the study of people. I could say that the events prior to the American Revolution are important because it pushed people to steadily set in motion a change in the status quo. To an extent, I genuinely believe that, because had not these disgruntled individuals achieved personal revolution within themselves, then a revolution in a grander scheme would have not been possible. People such as Samuel Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson among other individuals, represent the idea that the American Revolution brought individuals to come …show more content…
Prior to the American Revolution, slavery was taken for granted as a societal norm, but in the pursuit of freedom and human equality, chattel slavery was a contradiction. Although not all white americans accepted slavery in the eighteenth century, one-fifth of colonials were slaves. James Otis had previously pointed out in one of his pamphlets that blacks were entitled to the same essential civil rights and freedom as the whites, because they were born colonists, and therefore free born British subjects. The American revolution caused colonists to grow uncomfortable with slavery among some northerners. Abigail Adams ‘wished there were no slaves’ in Massachusetts, and several bills came up that attempted to ban slave trade or increase duty on imported slaves. Although most would not reach fruition, it had people talking about it in the midst of