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Grex > History > #1: Welcome to the History Conference! | |
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polygon
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Welcome to the History Conference!
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Jul 20 04:02 UTC 1991 |
Growing up as the son of a professor of American history, I picked up early
an appreciation of the long view, a degree of appreciation for the people
and the forces which have made us what we are.
This is an aspect of thinking which seldom gets exercised in computer
conferencing environment. The immediacy of telecommunications forces us to
breathless attention for the newest and latest information. Even ancient
history becomes late-breaking news, as with the recent fiasco over the
alleged assassination of Zachary Taylor.
But I think a lot of us still hunger for a broader understanding, for a link
with the past that formed our world whether we attend to it or not. This
shows up in almost silly ways at times: for example, M-Net's user community
clings to its traditions as tenaciously as the House of Lords. Anyone who
can dredge up nuggets of history that bear on the present is treated with
undue deference.
I hope the History conference will become a place where antiquarians and
historical analysts can mingle to mutual benefit. The past is a big place,
and we have a lot of things we can talk about. Just a few random thoughts:
o U.S. political history. Was the 1876 election stolen? What kind
of president would Sam Tilden have been? Who would you have voted
for in 1912? Was FDR a devil or a savior?
o The history of everyday life. It's been said that women spend as
much time (on the average) doing laundry today as before washing
machines were invented -- standards of cleanliness have risen and
kept laundry effort a constant. How much has technology really
changed housework?
o Economic history. What caused the Panic of 1893? What did we use
for money before Federal Reserve Notes were introduced in 1913?
In the past century, physicians rose from being merely middle-class
to the top of the socioeconomic scale -- how did they do that?
o Local history. Where did Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti get their names?
How does the University of Michigan get away with claiming it was
founded twenty years before Michigan was a state? Which downtown
Ann Arbor street used to be lined with livery stables?
o Architectural history (my own specialty). What is wrong with common
terms like "Victorian" and "pillars"? What was the connection between
octagonal houses and the Underground Railroad in the 1850's? What
style is Hill Auditorium? How does the change in glass technology
help to estimate the age of a house?
o World history (an especially weak area for me). How close to the
truth was the film "The Last Emporer"? Who were the most interesting
Popes? Has anyone seen Freud's old digs in Vienna?
o Historical research. How does one go about finding out ...
o Movies. I mentioned "Last Emporer" above. I have sometimes noticed
astonishing inaccuracies in cinematic portrayal of historic events
and periods. You too? What about especially well-done examples?
That's just a few ideas. However, there is one thing I'd rather we not spend
a whole lot of time on, because it could come to dominate the conference:
the intricate details of battles and military encounters. If you really want
to talk Pickett's Charge to death, please go start an Avalon Hill conference.
But in any case, welcome!
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| 89 responses total. |
mythago
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response 1 of 89:
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Jul 20 11:50 UTC 1991 |
Ah, an incentive to get causabon to learn to type!
I'm particularly interested in 'ancient' (i.e. pre-Greek classical period)
history, mostly Bibilical and Mesopotamian. I don't know scads about
otyher periods of history, though my husband (John) is going back to
get his master's and doctorate in British history, and is a fascinating
source of knowledge.
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arthur
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response 2 of 89:
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Jul 21 05:46 UTC 1991 |
I'm really looking forward to this! History is a favorite hobby
of mine (if you can call reading books about the past a hobby).
I'm interested in the history of ideas, East Asian history,
economic history, the Dark and Middle ages, the Renaissance, the
Enlightenment, Classical history, .....
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remmers
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response 3 of 89:
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Jul 21 12:55 UTC 1991 |
If you do it for pleasure and don't make money off of it, it's a
hobby.
I'm looking forward to participating in this conference also.
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polygon
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response 4 of 89:
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Jul 21 14:50 UTC 1991 |
Re 3. After all, it was your encouragement that led to this conference
being started! <grin>
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shannara
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response 5 of 89:
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Jul 21 21:33 UTC 1991 |
looks to me like Larry has big hopes for this conf...B-)
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ty
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response 6 of 89:
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Jul 22 20:47 UTC 1991 |
I'm glad he does. I'm a history major.
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fes
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response 7 of 89:
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Jul 23 02:43 UTC 1991 |
"History major" - isn't that something you become after flunking out of
engineering?
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mythago
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response 8 of 89:
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Jul 23 03:25 UTC 1991 |
No, that's what engineering majors take when they realize that they
DO want to have lives someday.
(sorry, I just resent the implication that liberal arts majors are a
default, rather than a choice--I skipped Inteflex for Mythology.)
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fes
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response 9 of 89:
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Jul 23 15:43 UTC 1991 |
I'm not knocking liberal arts - it's just that everyone I knew as an undergrad
that decided to bail out of engin ended up as a history major.
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arthur
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response 10 of 89:
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Jul 23 16:50 UTC 1991 |
On the other hand, I know liberal arts undergrads who decided to
get their engineering training in graduate school. I think that
order works very well.
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mistik
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response 11 of 89:
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Jul 23 19:43 UTC 1991 |
One might not like engineering after seeing the way it works. It is not
necessarily a 'flunking' effect. I studied engineering, completed my studies,
got my degree, worked at high tech companies. I still don't like the
human factor in the engineering field, that is the engineers' attitude.
May be it is the lacking human approach, and clumsiness in human relations.
I am not saying I changed it for better, after all, I studied engineering
after high school. That shapes you somewhat.
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ty
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response 12 of 89:
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Jul 23 22:24 UTC 1991 |
My history major is a stepping stone.
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mac
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response 13 of 89:
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Jul 25 00:31 UTC 1991 |
Everything is a stepping stone, even an engineering degree. What are you
planning to step onto next?
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arabella
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response 14 of 89:
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Jul 26 07:32 UTC 1991 |
My specialties are Art History and Music history (I have a BA in the former,
and am embarking on a masters degree program in the latter). I find
it interesting to learn about the history of civilization *through* the
history of the arts of mankind. I'm also very interested in learning
about the links between art, music, architecture, literature, and t he
social history of specific times and peoples.
Oh, and speaking of economic history, did the Panic of 1893 have something
to do with the government dropping the silver standard? I've read some
about the history of Colorado silver-mining communities, and would love
to know more.
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angi
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response 15 of 89:
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Sep 10 00:10 UTC 1991 |
The more I think about what I'm going to do when I go back to scool,
the more I want to dive right into Greek and Latin so I can get into
a program of Classical Studies someday.
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reach
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response 16 of 89:
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Oct 10 21:29 UTC 1991 |
I was never, nor will I ever be, a history major.
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crimson
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response 17 of 89:
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Oct 10 23:46 UTC 1991 |
'Tis a pity.
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steve
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response 18 of 89:
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Oct 11 01:34 UTC 1991 |
It *is* fun. What you have to do, is get over the horrid presentation
that was pummled into you in school. Rare is the school that does anything
other than turning people off history, from what I've been visited.
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arthur
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response 19 of 89:
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Oct 11 04:10 UTC 1991 |
I was lucky, my first year in college, to take a course in
ancient Greek history that breezed over the points of agreement,
and spent most of its time considering the current academic
controversies about the period. I've been interested ever
since, 'though my sense of Greek history after the Peloponnesian
War is a bit confused. Not enough controversies, I guess.
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reach
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response 20 of 89:
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Jun 19 14:15 UTC 1992 |
"Very few things happen at the right time and the rest do not
happen at all. The concientious historian will correct these
defects."
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davel
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response 21 of 89:
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Sep 11 02:24 UTC 1992 |
On the high-tech vs. liberal-arts question, my experience runs just counter
to what some of you expressed - in a way. A few years back it seemed that
half the people I knew were music (many), philosophy, or English majors/grad
students who'd become computer jockeys of one sort or another. The common
reason was the job market. (Many had gotten entry-level computer jobs to
support their schooling & found it impractical to switch after schooling was
over.)
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jeffk
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response 22 of 89:
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Sep 15 04:32 UTC 1992 |
Maybe I missed a point somewhere, but what kinds of work can you find with a
degree in History? I *love* history, but don't know where to apply it. I'm
currently a computer programmer, which is cool, but my 2nd choice is history
stuff. What's up?
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davel
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response 23 of 89:
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Sep 15 10:30 UTC 1992 |
The skills developed by the more technical academic disciplines (e.g.,
history) are quite useful in many other fields. Programming is indeed well-
suited; the ability to systematically view a problem and to weigh conflicting
considerations clearly applies. (In my opinion, also, a historian who's not
rigorous isn't much of a historian, and this also is a key in programming.)
There are many other fields of which this could be said. But as far as
the kind of qualifications that employers like to see on your resume ...
you can go to grad school (to prepare to teach, or to postpone the issue);
or you can look for something in politics or a think tank or something like
that, as someone's research assistant. (RA to a writer of historical fiction?
I doubt it; I suspect they started as frustrated historians themselves. But
add "write historical novels".) I can't think of much else off hand.
Unless academic history (or philosophy or whatever) - which translates as
teaching with your own research added as well - is a real possibility, you
may as well admit that you're self-indulgently taking this stuff because
you LIKE it, maybe because you hope it will make you a more well-rounded
person. That's fine, although it's an expensive hobby with tuition where it
is. No doubt this is socially useful, and in a truly enlightened culture we'd
all be philosopher-kings at $1.2M per year ... although Plato's view of the
philosopher-king didn't involve any personal luxury, rather the opposite if
anything.
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arthur
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response 24 of 89:
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Sep 17 10:37 UTC 1992 |
Hate to rain on your parade, but the only person I know
doing anything with history is getting his PhD. And facing
imminent unemployment because his thesis topic isn't
particularly trendy (the War of the Roses, peasant rebellion
during). It makes a much better avocation than a vocation.
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