[June 14, 2017] There’s an old saying that goes like this; “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”1 Rational thinking would tell us that this is true and given a brutish and harsh human history, learning from it would seem to be simple commonsense.
Today is Flag Day in the United States and a part of American history celebrated as both the date the U.S. Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag (1777) and also the birth date of the U.S. Army (1775). Certainly, there were more important events in our history that occurred on this date but not as emblematic as the flag itself which was to become a symbol of freedom across the world.
On this date, June 14, 1775 the Second Continental Congress approved the creation of an army, the Continental Army. Essentially made up of existing militiamen it included the authorization to establish 10 companies of expert riflemen from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia which were directed to march to Boston and support the ongoing fighting there.
Later, these units were to become known as the 1st Continental Regiment. Their flag is shown in the thumbnail to this post. Legends were made from those who fought against the British Empire in America’s revolution; one of the few true successful revolutions.
Also on this date, June 14, 1863, the federal commander of a small garrison in Winchester, Virginia during the U.S. Civil War was about to get a lesson in how brutal war can be. Robert Milroy, the garrison’s commander, had bragged that his over 6,700-strong force could easily withstand the onslaught of any Confederate attempt to take the town.
Confederate General Richard Ewell’s corps crashed down on the federal force capturing nearly the entire garrison, wagons, horses, and artillery pieces. Lessons from that particular battle were to reverberate throughout the U.S. Army, especially in General Joseph Hooker himself who as commander of the Army of the Potomac and responsible for containing Confederate General Lee’s rebel forces.
Like mathematics, the study of history has gotten a bad reputation in America’s schools. Often taught as courses by memorization of names, dates, and locations; it is largely seen as not applicable to modern day needs. This has caused many generations of intelligent students to avoid the subject and thus not exposed to crucial lessons in human history.
Making the study of history come alive is what good leaders do. They are good story tellers, good and ethical individuals, and have the ability to motivate people to do good things.
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- The quote is most likely due to George Santayana, and in its original form it read, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” http://bigthink.com/the-proverbial-skeptic/those-who-do-not-learn-history-doomed-to-repeat-it-really