Like you, Megan, I came to history late, deciding I could only live with/in America if I knew as much as I could about it. Funny thing, though. I came to different conclusions. I’ll just give a few.
#1 — People in power are generally shitty but their power can eventually be checked by the general will and spirit of ordinary people. A study of the Labor movement, of Civil Rights, more recently of LGBTQ will show you that shitty people may be the majority but that there are millions and millions of decent people who, when they band together, can beat the shitty people.
#2 The world can go from peace to war overnight but history shows us that there are far fewer wars now than ever before. And less personal violence.
#3 The world may run arbitrarily but when people throw up their hands and say that, it goes from arbitrary to evil. History is rife with examples of individuals who took charge, who stopped the train, who made a difference.
If I didn’t believe all of the above, I would not read another word of history. The news is enough to bring me down.
