ABSTRACT
The undervaluing of history is one of the great paradoxes of academic and practical life. History gets little respect in this country—until, of course, we need it: the banks implode, disaster strikes, a government betrays, a shocking crime is committed. Suddenly everyone is asking, what happened, how did it happen, or why did it happen? We want to know who was involved, and who did or said or knew what? These are historical questions. They can only be answered by locating and digging through the historical record.
