If I had a dollar for every time someone, upon hearing that I am a history major, commented on how they could never study history because they aren’t “good with dates and names”, I would be able to drop out of college as a near millionaire. It’s a common misconception— history is the study of the past and the past is made up of significant events and important people. Therefore, as a history major, I must just study dead people all day, right? Wrong!
Allow me to set the scene: It’s the first day of class and your professor has finished going through the syllabus. You’re excited to learn about the history of your favorite time period (for me, it would be 15th century England), and suddenly, you’re being presented with a slide deck on historiography for the tenth time in your academic career. It’s in that moment that you realize you once again got your hopes up about the possibility of analyzing primary sources and events, but instead you relegate yourself to a semester of secondary sources and lectures regarding obscure schools of historical thought. To put it plainly, as a history major, I spend the majority of my time focused on the study of historiography, which can most easily be described as the history of history. I also learn about key events and figures regarding a certain topic, but that serves mostly to contextualize a time period, rather than as an actual area of study. For the most part, I analyze the works of historians and how their arguments on various topics compare, as well as how interpretations of history change over time as resources are uncovered/made more widely available for study.Â
As exciting as the discussion of history vs. historiography might be, I am sure you are asking yourself why it even matters. Let me explain!
The power of the history degree
History is a noble pursuit, but it is also an applicable pursuit. Through the study of historiography, history students build up their research capabilities, ability to analytically and logically reason, write, and debate. History is a widely applicable degree, and it is because of the historiographical aspect that it is often considered a top degree choice for students interested in pursuing careers in legal, political, or academic fields.
When students, parents, professors, or institutions ignore the analytical and interpretive aspects of a history degree and boil it down to the study of dates and names, they disregard the intellectual asset that a degree in history can be, as well as the high level of work put in by dedicated history students in pursuit of their studies.Â
Ultimately, it is important to know the difference between history and historiography because it demonstrates a level of respect and kindness for an often overlooked major that is passed off as “easy” by students just because they managed to pass their AP United States history exams. The history classes you took in high school are wildly different from the courses taken by the history majors in college, and by opening your mind to the idea of a degree being more complex than you had originally perceived, you validate the work and devotion that is constantly happening in the history department. In recent years, history has become a female dominated field – understanding what historians and history students do is a display of female empowerment.Â
Moral of the story: your perception of a history degree is most likely wrong, or doesn’t fully encapsulate what a degree in history entails. Open your mind to the reality of the field of history and go hug a history major. I promise we exist and we are tired. Finally, don’t disregard the power of adding a historical perspective to your academic career just because you aren’t good with “dates and names.” There is so much joy to be found in mastering the art of historiographical analysis, and you too could be writing papers arguing against the validity of an argument made by a historian who hasn’t been alive for over one hundred years. How exciting!Â
