Why we study history

20 min

A building that tells a story

Look at this building in central Kigali. It was built in 1908, the year after the German official Richard Kandt chose the hill of Nyarugenge as the seat of the colonial administration. The town that grew around it is Kigali, today Rwanda's capital. Since 2017 the building has been the Kandt House Museum, with displays on Rwanda before and during German rule.

Ask yourself: why did Kigali become the capital, rather than Nyanza, where the kings lived? You cannot answer that question about today without knowing what happened more than a hundred years ago. That is the first reason history matters.

Six reasons to study history

Figure 5. Six reasons for studying history. Drawn by Ganzaa.

It explains the present. Borders, capital cities, languages, religions and even the crops we grow were shaped by past events.
It gives identity. Knowing Rwanda's heritage (its language, values, arts and institutions) helps citizens understand who they are and value what they share.
It teaches lessons. Studying the causes of wars, famines and genocide helps societies recognise warning signs and act earlier.
It builds unity and citizenship. A shared, truthful account of the past helps people understand one another and take part responsibly in their country.
It trains the mind. Historians weigh evidence, spot bias and build arguments: skills every citizen needs when reading the news or social media.
It leads to careers. Museums, archives, tourism, teaching, journalism, law and diplomacy all use historical knowledge.

Definition

Heritage: the traditions, values, buildings, objects and knowledge passed down from earlier generations, which a community wants to keep. Example: the Umuganura harvest festival and the King's Palace Museum in Nyanza are part of Rwanda's heritage.

Definition

Patriotism: love of and loyalty to one's country, shown by working for its good. Example: taking part in umuganda community work.

Case study: when history is used well, and when it is misused

Used well. Umuganura was a harvest festival of the Rwanda Kingdom, at which the first fruits of the harvest were shared and the year's work celebrated. It lapsed in the colonial period and was revived as a national celebration in 2011. Today it is held each August as a day of thanksgiving for the harvest and of reflection on Rwanda's achievements. Here, knowledge of the past strengthens unity in the present.

Misused. In the colonial period, some European writers invented a false story that Rwandans were made up of separate "races" with different origins. Historians have since shown that this story was wrong: Rwandans shared one language, one culture and the same clans. But the false history was taught in schools and repeated by later governments, and it helped to divide Rwandans in the years that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. This is why Rwanda today places such weight on teaching history truthfully and on programmes of unity such as Ndi Umunyarwanda ("I am Rwandan"), launched in 2013.

Important

History is powerful. The same past can be told to unite people or to divide them. That is why a historian's first duty is to the evidence, not to the wishes of any ruler or group.

Worked example: writing a "why it matters" paragraph

Question: "Explain one reason why a student in Rwanda should study history." (3 marks)

Point: state the reason. History helps us understand the present.
Explain: say how. Many features of Rwanda today were shaped by past events, so we cannot understand them without knowing that past.
Evidence: give a precise example. For example, Kigali is the capital because the German administration chose Nyarugenge as its seat in 1907, and the town grew around it.

Point, explanation and evidence earn one mark each. This "PEE" structure works for most history questions that begin "Explain".

Tip

Exam hook: for any "explain" question in history, remember P-E-E: Point, Explain, Evidence. The evidence should include a name, a place or a date.

History Skills: "Why Study History?". Listen for the skills the presenter says history gives you, and add any that are missing from Figure 5.

Discussion

Class debate: "It would be better for a country to forget the painful parts of its history." Prepare two arguments for and two against this statement. Use at least one example from Rwanda and one from another country.

✦

Practice

Give three reasons why people study history.
What is heritage? Give one example from Rwanda.
Explain, using the Kandt House Museum, how a building can be a historical source.
What was Umuganura in the Rwanda Kingdom, and when was it revived as a national celebration?
How was history misused in Rwanda during and after the colonial period?
Write a three-sentence PEE paragraph explaining how studying history helps a citizen who uses social media.

Show answersHide answers

Any three: to understand the present; to know our identity and heritage; to learn from past mistakes; to build unity and citizenship; to learn to think critically; for careers.
The traditions, values, objects, buildings and knowledge passed down from earlier generations. Examples: Umuganura, the King's Palace Museum, Kinyarwanda, intore dance.
It was built in 1908 in a new style for the colonial administration, so its date, materials and use are evidence of the start of colonial rule and of Kigali's origins.
A harvest festival at which the first fruits were shared and the year's work celebrated; it was revived as a national celebration in 2011.
Some colonial writers invented a false story that Rwandans were separate races with different origins; it was taught in schools and used by later governments to divide Rwandans before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Model answer: History teaches people to check where information comes from. A historian asks who made a source, why, and whether other evidence agrees. A social media user who asks the same questions is less likely to believe or share a false post.

1A building that tells a story

2Six reasons to study history

3Case study: when history is used well, and when it is misused

4Discussion

A building that tells a story

Six reasons to study history

Case study: when history is used well, and when it is misused

Discussion