7 Questions With Ada Lin, of Ages of Europe

 

Ada Lin is currently residing in Silicon Valley, and will be starting her college journey at the University of British Columbia in September. With her new interest in European history, she dedicates a few hours each week to her instagram page @agesofeurope.  For more links, https://linktr.ee/agesofeurope

1. What got you hooked on history?

I got into history pretty recently actually, only about 2 ish years ago! As an avid Game of Thrones fan, I decided one day to learn about the history (particularly the Wars of the Roses) that inspired the TV series by watching some documentaries. That got me interested in the medieval times. Then I also had to take AP European History in tenth grade, which enormously contributed to my now immense interest in studying history!

2. How does history play a role in your personal life?

In a way, history gives me freedom. And it’s not just history actually - other areas like literature and philosophy apply as well. It’s like I’ve been armed with knowledge to go about freely exploring what the world has to offer, without needing to worry too much about getting completely swayed by some biased or false information, since I have an idea about the context in which things became what they are now. I remember learning about Otto von Bismarck and the unification of modern Germany and being like wow, so that’s what provided the context for World War I. Whenever I get confused by current events or get stuck in existential thought, I turn towards history. Now, whenever I digest things, I have a more inquisitive, calm, and compassionate approach, because things are always more complicated than we anticipate.

3. How does history play a role in your professional life?

 I’ll be a college freshman in September and I won’t be majoring in history, but my interest in history will always fuel me to explore more. I think continuing my Ages of Europe instagram and webpage would be a good continuous goal for me to keep on learning and sharing, no matter what other paths I’ll take in the future. I have no idea what careers I’ll be going into, but if it involves history in any way, I’ll be very content!

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

History is so important for us to contextualize the world we live in today. Tracing the development of wars, rebellions, intellectual developments, and reform movements reveals a lot about how current international relations and world politics can go. As Hegel points out, history operates like a dialectic: we are forever swinging on a pendulum, as trends rise in popularity and invert themselves with a reaction in the opposite direction. Repeating history (or “rhyming history,” as Mark Twain remarks) is inevitable, but we’re able to form more nuanced conclusions, better understand our disagreements, and develop more kindness for others as we realize that history is complicated, and there are always multiple sides to every story.

5. What is your favorite period of history to learn about?

I started out by really loving the medieval times - the wars, the dynastic struggles, the scandals, and the betrayals. Everything seemed like a fairy tale. But then as I took more history classes I began to appreciate the more intellectual aspect of history - how new ideas inspired rebellions and reform that have taken us to where we are today. I make an effort to read the works of thinkers like Marcus Aurelius, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Friedrich Nietzsche; some of these nonfiction texts can be pretty grueling to read through, but in the end their writing reveals so much about both the individual self and society as a whole. It was their ideas that have greatly influenced people to self improve, and to shape the world as they see fit.

6. How did Ages of Europe come about?

The summer after taking AP European History, I wanted a place to store all my historical findings. I started to randomly write about some wars and revolutions in Europe that I was fascinated and relatively knowledgeable in, and post my writing on instagram just to see what would happen. That’s where I found a wonderful network of historians on the platform and decided to continue! Now this has turned into a very enjoyable hobby. I’ve also invited a friend of mine to join me (she helps with visual design).

7. What do you hope your followers on social media take away from your posts?

I sincerely hope that with my instagram page, I am able to encourage more people to turn toward history as a way of making sound decisions and rational conclusions (though, I admit, rationality has its limits) about the world around us. Now that social media is a big thing (and I, like many others, are a part of this wide crazy network), information overflow can be a problem to our comprehension of current events. Even though I’m contributing to that overflow in a way, I hope that, with a better understanding of historical developments, my readers will be more socially conscious, which doesn’t mean advocating for whatever is trendy or sharing news for the sake of popularity, but instead means having the power to think through everything ourselves.

7 Questions With Kendra Reid-Bossig, @patriotdame

 

Kendra Reid-Bossig has been volunteering at the 45th Infantry Division Museum located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for just shy of 3 years. She predominantly works with the museum's uniforms and personal equipment collection, which includes items from the Spanish American War to modern times. Her educational background is a mixture of American History and Art History. She is currently in her last year of graduate school at the University of Oklahoma, working towards a MA in museum studies. She has recently gotten into WW2 reenacting, which is a great way to make new connections, promote my work at the museum, and adds another exciting layer of content for her Instagram account.

1. How and when did you get hooked on history?

I have been a fan of history since elementary school. I grew up in Texas, and it has a mythos and history, unlike any other state. I just fell in love with history the more I read and the more classes I took.

2. What role does history play, or has it played in your personal life?

History has played a considerable role in my personal life; I have to thank/blame my family for that. Both of my grandfathers were veterans, and I loved looking at pictures of their time in the service and listening to their stories. While other kids were going to theme parks on vacation, we visited countless museums, historic sites, and battlefields. All of that historical goodness directly lead me down a rabbit hole that I am still gladly falling down.

3. How does history play a part in your professional life/career?

History is at the very center of my professional life right now. Honestly, I can not imagine working at any other type of museum. People view volunteer positions within museums as "not a real job," but I would argue differently. Many small museums rely heavily on volunteers. Volunteers provide crucial staffing and resources, and I like to think I am giving back to the community. I am so grateful that I can use my background and skills to help the museum. It's a win-win!

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

I am not a fan of the phrase "you need to learn history, so it does not repeat itself!"; events unfold for various reasons. Yes, things can be cyclical, but there is much more to history than just events. History comprises of people, relationships, movement, and many other things. It is essential to study history to understand more about our personal and societal identities. The "who, why, and what" are just as important as the "where and when."

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about, and why?

My favorite period of history is the late 18th to early 20th century. It is a time of rapid modernization and seismic societal shifts. Think about how far we have come in the relatively short time since the American Civil War; it's incredible! There are so many new perspectives finally being discussed from this period; I think it is fascinating.

6. How did you become PatriotDame?

 PatriotDame came about very early in my time volunteering at the museum. I wanted to highlight all of the incredible things we have on display, things that have been recently donated, or items that are not currently on the floor. I like to think I offer a backstage pass to the 45th.

7. What do you hope your social media followers take away from your posts?

My account is a fun and light-hearted way to engage a broader audience about the museum's collections and mission. That is the beauty of Instagram; it allows me to post images with a quick bite of information. I want people to take away that museums are not dusty, boring places that warehouse objects for posterity but are actually vital partners in their community.

7 Questions With Gracia Rich, @historywithher

 

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.