History is the systematic examination of the significant events, people, and ideas that have shaped human civilization. The study of history humanizes us by multiplying the range of experiences in which we share. It civilizes us by demonstrating how institutions and ideals, past and present, have developed; at the same time it offers critiques of those institutions and ideals. Finally, the study of history liberates us by freeing us from a narrow view of time and place. It offers a frame of reference for making critical judgments about the present and the future.

History trains our critical faculties to arrive at valid conclusions based on all available sources of information. The historical way of knowing is not narrow or technical. It is applicable to a broad range of human activities from business (case studies) to health (medical case histories). Historical method is a formal but very general means of discovery and insight with nearly universal application.