There's a lot of history everywhere!We all tend to focus on history that is approachable. This often means that we find it easier to study local historical events rather than the broad tide of human experience. We may think we learn history so that we won't repeat the mistakes of the past. Yet if we were a bit more objective, we'd note that we generally use history as a type of socialization. Studying history helps us feel part of an inclusive group.
There's a lot of history that we ignore everywhere!
The last time U.S. and British forces were opposed was during the American Revolution, right? Yikes, I guess we could move nearly nine decades beyond that point and find a more recent conflict. In order to really understand the history of the area were I now live, one would have to understand the historical currents that led to ...
... the Pig War.
The immense forces of the westward expansion, the ideals of a manifest destiny, and the interest in gold combined to create a conflict more about territorial integrity than anything to do with a single pig.
Why didn't I know about this until recently? Perhaps the US Civil War stole the limelight. Or maybe I wasn't ready to understand the Pig War's importance. Live and learn!
(The image is courtesy of www.san-juan-island.net.)