A Leaf, A Branch, A Tree: Giving Our Young People Their History

Michael Crichton said, “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.”

Tell your grandchildren stories from your life; they will relish them. Motortion Films/Shutterstock

In “A Familiar Wilderness: Searching for Home on Daniel Boone’s Road,” author S. J. Dahlman includes a quotation from Michael Crichton: “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.”

Those of us who do know some history are well aware that many of our fellow citizens, especially the young, are those clueless leaves. Perhaps you’ve seen that YouTube video where Mark Dice stands on a sidewalk, microphone in hand, and interviews pedestrians, asking them why we celebrate Independence Day on the Fourth of July and receiving either baffled looks or responses akin to “It’s the day we won our independence from Canada.” Perhaps you’ve spoken to a friend or neighbor who looks blank when you tell them your distant ancestor fought at the Battle of Yorktown. Perhaps you’ve watched CNN or Fox News, and realized that some members of our present Congress apparently lack a working knowledge of our Constitution.