I went to BPAC, to see a screening of Dolly Madison, the first lady of James Madison. The screening is part of a PBS series about American history. Prior to the event, I did not know anything about Dolly Madison, but learned that the personalities of certain people, especially those in history, are so important in how they are perceived. Dolly was unique in that she worked with politics at a time when women were not active. Dolly’s demeanor and personality was warm and attractive to many. Aside from the plot, I had a chance to see how people lived during the time and also how history is a big part of American politics.
I feel history plays a large part in how things are currently. Without the declaration of independence and the creation of the constitution, events would have surely turned out differently. In addition, history also plays a part in the future because of a cumulative effect. I happen to see history as an important tool to use in that one can read up on history or follow the news in order to better understand life. I also felt prior to the event, that I would not be interested in the story of Dolly Madison, but found myself interested in how her story has affected the outcome of politics and history at the time.
History is important in community because we all need to understand the past and how it has created the communities we live in today. Understanding the different components that went into something can help one understand how to make greater progress in their community today.