Why History Matters

A Lecture by Professor Simon Schama CBE with the Prince’s Teaching Institute

On Tuesday 20^th June a group of year 12 and 11 History and Government and Politics students attended the annual James Sabben-Clare Lecture at the The Royal Institution of Great Britain.

Professor Schama, a University Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University, New York and former teacher at Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard Universities, gave an enlightening assessment of why history matters.

Using numerous examples from Ancient History to 19^th century American History to the current Trump Administration and Brexit negotiations, Professor Schama outlined many arguments as to why the study of and debate within History matters.

Students came away from an often challenging debate with many questions and books/ historical figures to research.

‘History is not a trip down memory lane…. History is activist…… about debate’