Of all the subjects I have been taught, I believe, on reflection, that the most important is history.
You have to know math to be a functional citizen. You have to be able to handle figures to survive in our society. You have to know about weights and measures, temperatures and velocity and money, etc., etc. Math is the basis of many professions like engineering, accounting and statistics, and sciences like astronomy, meteorology, physics, etc., etc.
You have to know language in order to communicate and receive communication. Especially, you have to know the language of the books you intend to study. We are fortunate that the language we intend to study in is English, because it has the largest vocabulary. The English are great at adopting foreign words which describe an object or an action, like denouement and rapprochement from the French and ersatz, blitzkrieg and verboten from the Germans, and kosher from the Jewish, etc., etc. As a matter of fact, the English language is composed of as many words of foreign derivation as the original Anglo-Saxon.
So, you have to study English and math and all the other subjects in the curriculum while you are at school, even though you may think they would not be useful in your plan for your life’s work. All study is beneficial because it is a form of discipline, and all discipline is good.
But now that my school days are long gone and many things have escaped my mind, by necessity and by chance, I can evaluate the subjects I have been taught.
On reflection, I am now persuaded that history is the most important. Important to whom? Not to the man who decides to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. What use is a body of knowledge of history to those who are single-minded about their objective? Any course outside the required ones would be an impediment. Nevertheless, let me say this: without a fair knowledge of history, education is incomplete.
History is about the advance of civilization – of cultures, commerce, industry, literature, science and the arts. The study of history will make you understand why nations become great and how they become decadent and weak and are superceded or destroyed.
The study of history will make you understand why a small island nation became “the Empire on which the sun never sets.” Why America has prospered so mightily to become the world’s only superpower. Why Islam is becoming stronger and stronger. Why Africa is still the “dark continent,” which has nothing to do with the hue of its population. Why Christianity from a handful of followers of the Nazarene has spread to the ends of the earth. The why’s are endless. Also, how Belize can become a nation, united and prosperous.
If you think you have a calling to be a historian, you could start with reading about the Hebrews, Babylonians and Persians, then the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. History is related so, the farther back you go, the better off you will be. But, for the average man whose objective is to be reasonably well educated, I would suggest you start with the Romans.
I confess to being a little better than an ignoramus on the subject of history, but I am glad to be able to appreciate its value. For example, my study of English history explains why the British were able to gain control of and rule over almost half of the known world by the middle of the eighteenth century. I ascribe their success to three things: their educational system, the moral fibre of their citizens and the discipline of their armed forces.
When Wellington was asked to what he attributed the great victory, over Napoleon at Waterloo of the allied forces of which he was the commander-in-chief, he replied, “To the playing fields at Eton.” You would suppose he was referring to the recreational games he played at that school but, he was talking about the discipline that was instilled by the masters who supervised the games. Cricket in England, unlike sports played at schools in America, demanded absolute obedience to the direction of a captain and, absolute acceptance of the authority of an umpire. Discipline in their armed forces, particularly on Her Majesty’s ships of war, was extremely severe.
When knowledgeable people talk about quality soldiering, even today, they rate the Briton and the German as superior to the American, even though, the last is better equipped. They base their judgement on the fact that Britain and Germany have a tradition of higher discipline.
Above all, you should know your own history. You should know it well enough to educate your children and, to speak with some authority and conviction about events from the establishment of the settlement by buccaneers up to the present. A nation which does not know its history will never be of any account in the world.
I ask the question. Why is it there is no authoritative and comprehensive account of the history of Belize written by a Belizean? The effort of Assad Shoman in his Thirteen Chapters is commendable. The late Emory King’s historical writings, though enjoyable reading, are not properly a historical account. Apart from the late Vernon Leslie, I do not know of any Belizean who is qualified as a historian.
Sometime ago, a young Belizean who has been living in America told me that he was writing a history of cricket in Belize. He wanted me to tell him what I knew about it as far back as I could remember. I did so, but, that is not history. History is about the facts, which have to be obtained from records. The facts can be embellished with personal accounts but, history has to be faithful to the truth.
History may not be the most important subject in our curriculum. However, the purpose of this essay is to persuade those in positions of power and influence to recognize its value, so that, at least, a precious few of our students will be encouraged to choose as their lifework, the study and writing of history.