The more we know about the past, the better we can understand how societies have evolved to their present state, why people face certain problems, and how successfully others have addressed those problems. You are here (in Chapel Hill) because, two hundred years ago, some people pooled their ideas, energy, and money to dig a well, collect some books, and hire some professors. 3 So, historians study the past to figure out what happened and how specific events and cultural developments affected individuals and societies. 4 The answers historians offer are all more or less educated guesses about the past, based on interpretations of whatever information trickles down through the ages. 5 And now we know that this world wasn’t really “new”—there were civilizations here that far predated organized cultures in Europe. 6 Finally, history is ever-changing. 7 You may be here (in North Carolina) because you or some ancestor crossed an ocean several weeks, years, decades or centuries ago. 8 This same past has eliminated many hurdles for us (think of the polio vaccine) and may even offer possible solutions for contemporary concerns (consider the recent revival of herbal medicines). 9 It took a while before the Spaniards realized he’d landed on an island off the coast of this New World. 10 ” In other words, your presence on this campus is the result of many, many historical developments. 11 For your instructors in the history department, however, history is a fascinating puzzle with both personal and cultural significance. 12 Easy, right? History is everything that happened in the past: dates, facts, timelines, and the names of kings, queens, generals, and villains. 13 , because of past events and developments. 14 The past informs our lives, ideas, and expectations. 15 Although we are all unique, we share parts of our identities with past peoples and cultures. 16 In the big picture, however, you are here because of history, i. 17 You are here (on the planet) because two people’s lives collided—in the past. 18 You are here (at an institution of higher education) because long ago, some German scholars laid the groundwork for what we call the “modern university. 19 The problems we face today may have puzzled—or even been created by—past people and cultures. 20 e. 21 As you can see, the questions of history include the immediate and personal (how did I get here?), the broad and cultural (why do universities function as they do?) and the purely factual (what exactly did Columbus find?). 22 It took even longer for historians to figure out that the Vikings crossed the Atlantic long before Columbus. 23 Question: what did Christopher Columbus do? Well, if you’re like many people, you’re thinking, “He discovered the New World. 24 Before shrugging off this abstract notion, ask yourself another “easy” question: Why are you here at UNC-CH? Maybe you’re at UNC because it was the best school that accepted you, or because UNC has great sports teams. 25 For many students, the word “history” conjures up images of thick textbooks, long lectures, and even longer nights spent memorizing morsels of historical knowledge. 26 ” Well, sort of. 27 Historians also revise earlier explanations of the past, adding new information.