Tom Mayes explores the impact historic places have on daily lives when not working on legal complexities, recently receiving the Rome Prize and publishing Why Old Places Matter.
“History is a chronicle of human experience; its purpose lies in bringing to fruition humanity.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
1. A little history is always better
Historians, like all writers, create contexts and designs which enable readers to understand past reality. To do this effectively requires first arranging facts meaningfully before establishing direct causal links.
History scholars face an additional burden: they cannot acknowledge any facts not already incorporated into their scheme. This challenge does not arise solely with scissors-and-paste histories but can occur across any sort of history or pseudohistory, not only science but nonscience as well.
As much as the historian strives for precision in his craft, his eagerness for order often leaves him vulnerable to errors. Pride, ambition, avarice, revenge, lust sedition and uncontrolled passion all pose threats he must navigate carefully while crafting history.
2. The past is never dead
No matter whether it’s ghosts of murdered kings or injustice in the South, the past is never truly dead. Gothic literature explores this idea through images depicting decayed structures from years ago that return from their tombstone resting places; Faulkner was awarded with this prize in 1949, becoming one of the most influential writers ever.
He realized the past can haunt us–unless we acknowledge and learn from it. Indeed, those who shrug off history repeat its errors, while those who understand its lessons move forward with hope and courage. That’s why it is essential to visit historical places, where history was made–and lived–because visiting these locations helps you gain a better perspective of yourself in relation to our shared history.
3. Wanderlust is alive and well
An urge to travel has long been part of human evolution. For nearly all of human existence, humans were nomadic creatures moving with seasons, hunting opportunities, and opportunities presented themselves. With agricultural development comes villages and towns which became our homes.
Wanderlust still drives people to explore the world, whether out of thirst for knowledge or the desire for beauty and adventure. It was this same spirit which propelled Herodotus across Greece and Asia Minor or Hemingway across France; Ralph Waldo Emerson even used this energy in his essay Self-Reliance against travel influenced by Stoic philosophers such as Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius who advocated careful examination of impulses, desires and reactions prior to making decisions and acting.
4. The past is written in the stones
Before the invention of writing, less literate societies would rely on stones to record important information – from laws, tax obligations, religious rites and more – that was meant for posterity. Tombstones with accurate dates can reveal an abundance of historical information that makes an excellent secondary source lesson! Pay a visit to your local cemetery and explore its stones while uncovering more information from history! This makes an excellent secondary source lesson to use with Alpha History!
5. It’s not about where you’re from. It’s where you’re going
Historical places hold many special memories for their visitors, from stories of past history and meeting points between generations to future projects and collaboration.
Places like historical places offer both extraordinary adventures and timeless beauty; we all come together there, sharing experiences that shape who we are. They mark history-making moments; when looking for that ideal Instagram caption, use one of these quotes about historical places as your starting point – you never know what may await you there, so keep exploring!
