Make The Case
"Not to know what happened before one was born is always to remain a child"...Cicero
Do history and culture matter? What is their value? We live in the present and plan for the future, but why should we concern ourselves with the past?
Historian R.G. Collingwood gives us one possible answer: “History is for human self-knowledge…the only clue to what man can do is what man has done."
But there are many other answers to these questions, and they will be different for every person. The world we live in today is complex, and we are faced with countless questions every day. The Mint Project seeks to create an experience that not only educates visitors, but helps them see how the stories of the past, seen through new perspectives, will help answer the questions that challenge us on a daily basis
The study of history improves our judgment by giving us tools and experience to assess the facts. Learning history trains us to sort through different, and often conflicting, interpretations of past events. The absence of history would have us act blindly out of passion or ignorance, unaware of who we are or how we are all members of a society.
Could you imagine doing medical research without knowing what has been tried in the past? How could you evaluate the possibility of a war without understanding prior of conflicts? It is this connection the makes history critically relevant [hot link to deliver relevancy page] to our lives today. By understanding that there is more than one side to every story, the study of history will lead us towards a future of tolerant and open minds.
When people share a common knowledge of history, they can more productively discuss their own interpretations and perspectives. By creating a forum for these discussions, The Mint Project will demonstrate the value of history, and how studying the past creates critical thinkers, independent minds, and well-informed citizens and communities.