Get History was started five years ago as a reaction to the cavalier manner in which history is taught to children, to the way fascinating debates are simplified into non-existence. Children, wide-eyed, ready to learn and believe, are being force fed mistakes by tired, stressed and overworked teachers following what the curriculum tells them. Interest in history is kept alive instead by the likes of the Horrible Histories team, who focus on the minutiae and gloss over key issues. So this website was my attempt to provide information on all aspects of British history (and prehistoryThe time in the past that happened before history began to be recorded.), that is accessible yet doesn’t ‘dumb down’ the information or the ideas. But, as is the nature of life, the original intent has morphed and grown to include not just children, but all interested parties. There is so much fake news and reference to historical precedent at the moment that I believe everyone can benefit from a site like this. I, too, have grown: having rekindled my own love of writing history, I have completed my Masters at the University of Oxford and become a freelance writer and historian in my own right.
The discipline of history is alive with debate, and I have tried to incorporate the main ideas from each side wherever possible, as well as including the key facts, dates and figures. I have tried to present all sides of a debate, although occasionally my own revisionism shows through. Yet I also hope people will use the information found here to form their own ideas; one of the best things about history is the scope for debate. There's a reason why the collective noun for historians is an 'argumentation'.
Each article includes key facts and people to help introduce the topic, with links to other relevant information where available, and I have included a glossary for ease of comprehension - just mouse over the word highlighted in red. More detailed information, a few tangents, and references for direct quotations are scattered throughout articles and are indicated through the information
More information will appear here. icons. I also think that history is best understood through independent research, both book-based and through experience. I have therefore included ideas for tasks, visits, and further reading, as well as discussion points, which I hope can inspire adults as much as children.
Above all, I have tried to stop my writing being dry, whilst keeping accuracy high!
I hope you enjoy,
Debbie Kilroy