Why study history? Is it because it is required? Because the state makes us study it? It shouldn't be.
First, I study history to learn about America's past times. If it wasn't for history, there would be no "heroes." There would be people that did great things, died, and then were forgotten about. I believe it is my duty, and every other Americans, to learn about these "heroes" and to make sure they are never forgotten. Why do we recognize athletes when they do something good? They get a trophy for winning a championship. Heroes are doing something much more. They have died for someone else. They have died so I can be free. They deserve to live on forever. .
Another reason I study history is to make myself more intelligent. A person sounds very intelligent when he knows what he is talking about. I like to learn. I like to sound intelligent. .
Next, history is interesting. Watching sportscenter in the morning and seeing Barry Bonds hit a 500 foot homerun is interesting. Talking about who broke up with who over the weekend is interesting. Seeing the score of the game your favorite pro team was playing in last night is interesting. All of those things are interesting. They all happened in the past. They are just more recent than the history in which we study in class. Whether it happened 2 hours ago, 2 months ago, or 200 years ago, it's all history, and I find it all interesting.
Finally, as an American, I believe it is my duty to study American history. It is my duty to find out how we came to be the country we are now. Out of respect for the people that fought for our country, I will study history. People did great and heroic things for me to be free. The least I can do is learn about what they did, because they did it for me. That is why everyone should be required to study history.
Therefore, I study history to learn about America's past time, to make myself more intelligent, because it is interesting, and because I believe it is my duty as an American.