Sean Walker
November 29th, 2016
Dr. Tracey Penny Light
HIST 1120
Reading Log #10
What is History, And How Do We do It
History is complicated, no doubt about that. It always was and always will be. There are many different things that make history complicated, from having to verify sources and the endless search for just the right document to making sure all your work is properly cited, but history isn’t just the endless hours of research. History is also the wonder that you can discover hidden in the annals of some forgotten clerks forgotten journal, or the amazement of the ingenuity of the indigenous people that had been lost to us for generations and would continue to be lost for generations more, if it wasn’t for historians of all types, pulling all the long days and even longer nights. We would have no stories to tell, no lessons to give, no respect for our ancestors. So when you look at a history textbook, be grateful that there are historians who go through the trouble of compiling all of the necessary topic information into one place.
How do we do history? that is a tough question because I don’t think there is one right way “to do history”. In fact I believe that there are a great many ways one can “do History”, sll it comes down to is what type of work you want to do and how much of that work you are willing to put in. for work at a archeological dig sit you would obviously have to be willing to be out in the field for extended periods of time, this in of it’s self is an ambitious ask, as in the field you cant expect to have easy access to things like running water, electricity, or even indoor plumbing.
Or if field work isn’t really your style you could try being a teacher or professor of history in a school. Of course that also comes with its own level of hard work required, you may end up staying up for long periods of time either grading papers or making presentations or writing out lesson plans. No matter which way you go in being a historian you will have to work hard for it, there is no such thing as an easy way to successes.