This course has taught me so much about myself and the methods of history.

I have learned that although each method of history is unique, they all add something to the field. I also thought that it was impossible to write a history of yourself. Although I found it is still pretty hard, A.M. Henry’s This is NOT a Fairy Tale proves that it is not impossible. I think this class opened my eyes to the historical method of memoir. Before I found it as simply a type of literature, yet through mine and my fellow students’ projects, I discovered that you can get a lot from a memoir. A memoir can lead to different topics that you might not have considered writing before. This class also caused me to ponder if one form of history is any better than another. The answer, I have discovered, is no. Although each form of history does not work for every historical study, each method of history can add something. A memoir and biography might be helpful in finding a topic, microhistory might be helpful in narrowing a topic, and all of history involves some sort of story that it is a historian’s job to tell. History is about memory and the meaning behind that memory.

This class also showed me the importance of class discussion. The course would not have been as successful if no one was willing to share their family history. It is through all our different family histories that we were able to connect to the content in way that would be hard if we had not opened ourselves and tell stories about our families.

This would be an educational class to take especially for fun. This class was about how history relates each life personally. It was about discovering where we came from and what has influenced over the past.