We should not neglect the study of history

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," the philosopher George Santyana wrote in 1905. While I do not believe that history repeats itself exactly, I think there is wisdom in Santyana's words. Times change, but human nature does not. People have been subject to the same ambitions, many of the same dreams, and similar temptations throughout history. It is therefore wise to study the past. There are lessons to be learned in doing so. It is especially important, I think, for us in the United States to study our own history, which is in many ways unique. And it's even more important for us to be sure knowledge of that history is being passed on to the next generation. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has just released a new book for children that he wrote in collaboration with one of his former clerks, titled "Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence." I have not read the book, but I did read a transcript of an interview Gorsuch gave to online columnist Dan McLaughlin. In it, Justice Gorsuch notes that American youth does not test well in history and civics, with only 13% of middle and high school students testing at "grade level" in the former and only 22% testing at that level in the latter. Those numbers are not good. Gorsuch admits to not knowing for sure why they exist, but he notes that "something is missing" in education. Indeed. When I was in high school, all students were required to take, and pass, a one-year course in civics, a year of world history, and a year of American history. In the college I attended, we were required to pass or "test out of" two semesters of Western civilization and two of American history. I wondered if that is still true. Here in Tennessee, it is, at least on paper. In order for Tennessee students to graduate from high school with a traditional diploma, they must take three social studies credits which must include American history and geography and a half-year of civics. They must, in addition, take and pass a standardized test in civics. The test is taken from the test given to immigrants as a condition of becoming "naturalized" as American citizens. It consists of 100 questions. Those who take the test must answer at least 70 of these correctly to pass. The required curriculum for history courses to be taught to Tennessee high school students must include study of the Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, Federalist Papers, Emancipation Proclamation, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. That all sounds good, but how do Tennessee students fare when being independently tested in these subjects? I looked that up, too. The results are promising, but there is still work to be done. Tennessee students who take proficiency tests in social studies that go into the National Assessment of Educational Progress have shown steadily increasing scores since 2021, a year in which schools remained closed most of the year. Their test results put them within the top half of all states. That's progress, but then, nationwide test scores are pretty poor, as noted above. What about colleges? Here in Tennessee, students must pass six semester or nine quarter hours in American history in order to graduate from any state-supported college or university. That's pursuant to a state law that was passed in 2024. I'm not sure what colleges in Tennessee required previously, but I gather that some required less than that. That one year of American history now required in Tennessee stacks up pretty well with the year expected of me when I was a student. But remember: I was required to pass tests or take courses in "world history," too. What about that? Well, Tennessee offers courses in Western civilization, but if I understand what I read online, if a student takes and passes the American history requirement, he or she doesn't have to take them, too. But I also wanted to see how Tennessee stacks up against other states. I went to college way back when at the University of North Carolina. I wanted to see how Tennessee colleges compare with what my alma mater is doing now. Pretty well, I found. North Carolina state law requires but one semester of American history, and UNC no longer offers a survey course in Western civilization. In this sesquicentennial year, we ought to be mindful of Santyana's admonition. History teaches valuable lessons. They should not be neglected. Bob Arrington is a Kingsport attorney. You can email him at r_arrington@chartertn.net.