When it comes to @historywithher, books and history go hand in hand. A South Carolina native, and lover of both State and American History, Gracia believes that books are the greatest way to share history with those who are interested, and ones who never knew they were. It is her goal to bring a combination of historical fact and viable resources into one place, opening the doorway into an all-inclusive history.
1. How and when did you get hooked on history?
My father actually got me hooked on history when I was around 7 or 8 years old. He loved American History, especially anything regarding Black History (which in my house we learned early on was American History) the West or Military History. He would share stories and books with me, and I fell in love. Throughout his life, this was something we always had in common and always talked about when I’d see him.
2. What role does history play or has played in your personal life?
History has played a MAJOR part in my personal life. I have always been a seeker of the “WHY?” in everything and when it comes to America I’ve always been curious to why we are as we are as a Nation. So, I began reading everything that I could find on what I believe to be the Founding times of our Country, which for me is Pre-Revolution to Reconstruction. I feel that it is during the 17th-19th Centuries America became what we know as America. As an avid reader, I mostly read Historical Nonfiction because I love to find out everything I can regarding American History. I also take these books and the knowledge that I have learned from them and post on my IG page (@historywithher) that is devoted solely to history and books. It’s a personal pleasure of mine to share everything I can about history, plus make it accessible and interesting to other people who may be put off by it otherwise.
3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?
I’m a paralegal, so history is a great part of my research process. I spend much time looking up case law which all goes back to different legal precedents and statutes which stem from cases in both state and federal courts. All of this is history. I love this side of the legal profession. Sometimes I run across cases that interest me outside of work and this research causes me to really invest time in studying these cases to find out what made them “precedent-setting” worthy.
4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
I feel that studying/knowing history is important because if gives a clearer picture of things as a whole. We tend to know some historical facts out of context, or there are the facts that have been left out on purpose. If we don’t study for ourselves, we never get the whole story-or the true one. Believe me, I know that even with the resources we have we may never know the full story of so many historic events because those resources can also be flawed. However, I believe in putting in the work and finding out all you can with what you’ve got. To paraphrase, a known historical sentiment, “to know better is to do better.” Even if you don’t agree with this, to know better is to be informed which I think we all should be.
5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
For me, my favorite time is 17th-19th century American History. I love this time period because here is where we get the birthing pains of the Nation. Here is where we get everything from Jamestown to Reconstruction. We move from colonies and territories to states. We have a war that essentially forges the Nation and another one that almost destroys it. Here we see America at it’s best, but also it’s worse and I am interested in all of it. I also have an extreme interest in Founding documents, constitutional law and the United States Supreme Court
6. How did you decide to begin “@historywithher”?
I started @historywithher first as just a regular bookstagram page, but then I noticed that most of my books were either historical nonfiction or historical fiction. I saw this as an opportunity to give small tidbits of history while also providing a viable resource for my followers if they wanted to do any in-depth study. I really didn’t think that it would take off because I don’t personally know many people who love history like I do, but to my genuine surprise, I began to get followers. And not only followers, but people with comments regarding both history and the posted book. That was a win-win for me.
7. What do you hope people take away from your social media?
I want people to show people that History isn’t boring. It’s so much more that what we were taught in school. There are several different avenues of study and it all doesn’t have to begin with George Washington. I really want people to find something that interests them on my page and take a deep dive. No matter what it is, I’m certain it will lead them to information they never dreamed of.
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