But in history, as in traveling, men usually see only what they already had in thier own minds; and few learn much from history, who do not bring much with them to it’s study.
John Stuart Mill, The Subjection of Women
I’m taking History 11 (American History 1) right now, and have been discovering the truth of this daily over the past couple of weeks. Certain issues, most notably immigration, have drawn more questions and opinions from the class than others, and it’s from these topics, concerning which the students have some personal experience and interest, that receive the most thorough elucidation and discussion. For his part, the instructor does a good job of identifying what doesn’t click with us naturally, and stops to spend extra time on those topics that we need to be encouraged to take some interest in.
It’s perpetually astonishing to me how useful seemingly unrelated classes can be to each other. My current reading for my upcoming English class (English Literature 2 – Romantic through 20th Century) has been especially so for my History class, since they cover much of the same ground. When I read about how the Founding Fathers were influenced by the Enlightenment, I know, thanks to having read works from the Enlightenment, what that really means.