The Historian Dilemma: “History is about Dead People”

It's another Historian Dilemma post! Today, I'm focusing on the idea that "history is about dead people."

This is something that makes a lot of my non-history-buff friends confused. It's a "true statement," but it makes historians - history students, writers, teachers, etc. - extremely annoyed when they hear it. And if you're one of those non-history-buff friends who gets confused by why historians get annoyed by the statement, this post is here to help you out. (Also, if you need something to send to a non-history-buff friend explaining why we historians get annoyed by the statement, hopefully this post will help you too.)

Here are the 3 reasons why historians get annoyed by the statement "history is about dead people."

Reason 1: Yes, history is about dead people. But history is constantly being made, whether it's 5 years ago, 500 years ago, or 5000 years ago. So the "dead people" may not have been dead for that long when you really think about it. They can be dead for one year, yet they're still a part of history.

Reason 2: In many cases, it's not only about the dead people. It's about everything and everyone they're connected to. Think about figures like Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, John F Kennedy, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. When you remember these names, you don't just think of these people on their own. You think of the social climates they lived in, what they did, how they got to their positions, and who their allies and enemies were. You don't just think of historical, dead people on their own.

Reason 3: If you know a dead person's name, you know it for a reason. Think of the following names: Henry VIII, Tsar Nicholas II, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. You may have had to do a bit of research to remind yourself of who some of these leaders were. However, you most likely recognized every single name I just mentioned. Henry VIII had six wives. Tsar Nicholas II and his family died due to the Bolshevik Revolution. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella funded Christopher Columbus. George Washington was the first US president. Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. You know these names, along with every other famous, dead person's name for a reason.