Peter N Abdelmaseh
Jessica Roseberry
HIST-2020-L19
11/27/25
Reflection
My view on History and its significance changed when I took Dr.
Roseberry's course. I used to think that history class was just about
memorizing names and dates of important events. However, throughout the
semester, I discovered that History is about how people shaped and
influenced the future. It involves making connections between different time
periods and interpreting events. History 2020 had me reading critically and
analyzing primary sources using evidence from the passages. Thus, my skills
grew far from simple. I learned that I must think like I'm in that time period I
was learning about, and because of that, it helped me obtain a better
understanding of the class.
For starters, one of the topics I learned about in this class is
reconstruction. It was a period right after the Civil War when the South was
rebuilding. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were created during this
time to end slavery, grant citizenship, and ensure that everyone, regardless
of race, had the right to vote. Although there was some progress,
reconstruction failed to achieve its primary goals because of violence from
white southerners against black people. This violence caused to the rise of
the Jim Crow era of segregation. I also learned about WWI, also known as the
Great War, which lasted from 1914 to 1918. Because it involved nationalism,
militarism, and alliances, it became a global conflict. The war was fought
between the Allied powers: Britain, Russia, France, Germany, Austria-
Hungary, and the United States. We also learned that the US joined the war
later to support the allies. From this topic, I knew that minor conflicts could
escalate into large wars if communication breaks down. It also shows that
peace is essential, and fairness is important for all. Unfair treatment can lead
to many problems.
Moreover, learning about History is essential because it helps us
understand the events that happened in the past, so that we do not repeat
them and improve our world for the better. History also teaches us about the
causes of huge issues. It helps us analyze the event and learn from those
mistakes so that we can make better decisions in the future. History also
reviews people's personal experiences from different backgrounds to
demonstrate what those people had to go through, which I think is very
important because learning what happened is entirely different from hearing
someone's side of the story who lived during that event. To me, learning
about the past makes me smarter because it makes me understand the
current events that will shape this world for the better.
Furthermore, what I learned in this class most definitely can be helpful
in my future because this class helped me become a better reader to
understand different viewpoints and analyze all that information. It also
made me build skills that I will use throughout college classes and in my
future career. Also, learning about all those events will help me make a more
intelligent decision in this world. In addition, this class also taught me one of
the essential things, which is to ask questions and to understand that there
is always help out there when needed. All these things will help me in my
everyday life, such as voting, solving problems at work, and more. I truly
appreciate how this course has helped me grow as a reader and an academic, and for everything I
have learned, which has made me feel confident and vital.