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Like many, I suspect, I’ve been thinking about the events of the last year and thinking about my study of history. I really love the period of the American Revolution. It’s messy, complicated, sad, inspiring. 1/
When I study the Revolution I get excited to see why people acted as they did, how & why events turned out as they did. In my subconscious I know I can be excited because I know how the bigger picture turned out. There’s comfort in this uncomfortable history because I know. 2/
During lunch, with the news on in the background, I had a thought that some future historians are going to be very excited to study and sort out the messiness and complicated nature of 2020/21. 3/
But what living through this moment makes me appreciate—well one thing it makes me appreciate—that living through these messy events in the moment, is often super uncomfortable and not fun or exciting. It can be very sad and make people very anxious. 4/
And living through this moment has helped me really appreciate how the American Revolution wasn’t likely a “fun” exciting event for the people who lived through it. It was a violent time with an unknowable outcome. 5/
Yes, there were exciting new ideas and developments to come out during the Revolution, but I doubt the ideas seemed “fun” exciting at the time. It’s only with the passage of time that we can fully appreciate the excitement of those ideas and developments. 6/
I don’t mean this thread to suggest I never think about this aspect of what it was like to live in the past; to live without knowing how events in your present will turn out. I do. But the events of the past year have really helped me to appreciate and consider it more. 7/
One byproduct for me of this time is that I’ve come to more fully appreciate the humanity of those who lived in the past and the events they lived through. 8/finis
