The Evolution of History

1. The Evolution of History

2. Some Background Information • History does not stay the same – it changes constantly • The history you’ve learn in school is not the same as the history your parents learned • History changes for a variety of reasons

3. Why Does History Change? • 1. It can change because we learn new information about a person or an event • Sometimes historians discover lost documents and other artifacts that change their ideas about the past • 2. Later events can alter how we interpret history • Historians may see connections between past events that change their significance in history • 3. Time allows people a chance to measure the importance of historical events • We don’t always realize how important (or unimportant) an event is until we can see how it has affected us

4. How does History Change? • Historians rewrite history to include all new information and get rid of false or unimportant details • Some history may change greatly over time (Holocaust) • As some history becomes more important. Other parts of history become less important

5. John F. Kennedy • His place in history has seen major changes • 1962 – while people liked Kennedy, he was seen as a “do-nothing” president because he had not made big changes in domestic policies • 1963 – people questioned whether he could win another term • Later 1960s – historians focused on his international achievements as the govt. released more information on events from his presidency • Today – many Americans consider him one of the best presidents because of the space program and fight against the U.S.S.R.

6. The Back of the Bus • 1955 – When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, it was a relatively minor incident that led to a citywide bus boycott • 1960s – this event inspired many other Civil Rights protests across the American South • Today - the bus event became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States