The knowledge or study of past events. Napoleon said, “What is history but a fable agreed upon.” A Bolshevik propagandist reportedly said, “Words are more dangerous than bullets, so why should we not control words.” Karl Marx said, “If you can cut the people off from their history, then they can be easily persuaded.” George Orwell said, “Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.” So you see, the correct understanding of history is quite significant. So significant, that governments forbid the telling of portions of their past. So significant those governments punish academics that stray too far into independent research and analysis of official history. Indeed, some historians can be so sensitive to their training obligations that they willingly overlook glaring evils of their sponsors. Historians in the old Soviet Union were forbidden to reveal the cruelty of Lenin and Stalin or of the 100 Million middle class citizens, who were starved, slaughtered or disappeared for the cause of communism. As this is being written, three notable historians are in prison in Germany for the crime of “Historic Denial”, as it has been made a criminal offense to disprove government facts! A people without a firm and clear understanding of where they have been will be unable to discern where they are or where they are headed. They will be easily led by the propagandist (flatters’) in a tyrant’s court. Independent thinking Christians on the other hand have an instruction manual called the Holy Bible that stresses the importance of the knowledge of history. Scriptures teach that there is no new thing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9) and within its’ pages are all the answers mankind seeks. Understand God’s Word and you will gain insight into the struggle of mankind and mankind’s history and gain a much better grasp of Western and American history. Whenever a government punishes independent thought and historic investigation contrary to official writ, then that government has something to hide. Within the past forty years our government historians have begun clouding the virtue and stewardship of Southern men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson because they were slave holders before, during and after our founding. Yet, those same academics make no fuss over Alexander Hamilton or John Adams who were also slave owners. Nor do they denigrate their “Cradle of Liberty”, Faneuil Hall in Boston, which was built and donated by the prolific Boston slaver, Peter Faneuil whose immense wealth had but a single source: slavery. Independent study and analysis of history may reveal the hypocrisy of government historians but the important issue is why. History as a time line is straight, when government propagandists bend that line it is for a purpose and generally, that purpose has as its root tyranny. It is therefore vital that you understand that your ignorance of history in no way absolves you of your responsibility to God, family and community.