People have differing views regarding history as not a very useful field of study, while others are sure it is impossible to understand the present without knowledge of the past. In my opinion, history helps people build a brighter present.
On the one hand, facts about the past might be misrepresented. By analyzing historical data, citizens can notice that not all the facts written in the history books are truthful and accurate. Some of them might be misleading. For example, all the pupils at schools are taught that Christopher Columbus was the first person who discovered America. In fact, he explored Central and South America, but he never set foot in North America. However, I believe that knowledge of the past is necessary to not make the same mistakes.
On the other hand, by learning about history, inhabitants might draw valuable lessons from the past. With lessons from the past, residents might develop the ability to eliminate mistakes and create better paths for their societies. The Great Depression in America can be described as a great example. The economic crisis put almost 15 million people out of work. The government had to examine and analyse the causes of the crisis. Consequently, this effort helped develop the economy of the country and solved the unemployment problem. I take the view that history is important because it gives human the opportunity to learn from others’ past mistakes.
In conclusion, although some people consider that history is useless, I believe that it is necessary to study our past in order to prevent problems at the present.