Historical perspective is the different interpretation each nation or individual has on the past. It is important in the study of history for many different reasons such as helping students to understand different countries, civilizations, culture, or individuals, it creates a sense of loyalty and nationalism to ones country, and it helps for a better understanding of why the world is the way it is now.
It is extremely important to better other societies besides the one you represent. More often than not people create a bias before reviewing all the facts. Historical perspective can aid to lessen this created bias. In the case of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1914, an American man would have a very different opinion of the events that occurred than a Japanese citizen. Pearl Harbor is rarely remembered in Japan, where as when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima it has yet to be forgotten. This is such because in the event of Hiroshima the Japanese were the victims during the attack of Pearl Harbor they were victimizing. For America, it is the exact opposite. They tend to focus on Pearl Harbor instead in which Americans were victims. Each countries opinion on these two specific events is its' historical perspective. To understand the purpose of each event students can use historical perspective.
When a student is taught history, they are discovering the past, and it essentially creates a sense of loyalty for that person's homeland. History is very easily manipulated for the purpose of creating nationalism. Historians will often create ...