--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The function of traditional history is to…" description: "\"The function of traditional history is to create a citizenry that looks to the top - the president, Congress, the Supreme Court - to make the important..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/howard-zinn-576_built_the-function-of-traditional-history-is-t_1844180.jpg" --- # The function of traditional history is to create a… ![“The function of traditional history is to create a citizenry that looks to the top - the president, Congress, the Supreme Court - to make the important decisions. That's what traditional history is all about: the laws that were passed, the decisions made by the court. So much of history is built…” quote by Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/howard-zinn-576_built_the-function-of-traditional-history-is-t_1844180.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/howard-zinn-576_built_the-function-of-traditional-history-is-t_1844180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/433/howard-zinn-576_built_the-function-of-traditional-history-is-t_1844180.jpg) > “The function of traditional history is to create a citizenry that looks to the top - the president, Congress, the Supreme Court - to make the important decisions. That's what traditional history is all about: the laws that were passed, the decisions made by the court. So much of history is built around "the great men." All of that is very anti-democratic.” [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Traditional history emphasizes elite figures and institutions, marginalizing ordinary people and democratic participation. **In simple terms:** History often focuses on powerful leaders, ignoring common citizens. Key Takeaway Question dominant narratives. Themes democracy history power structures Mood critical thought‑provoking Type analytical activist When to use this quote - education - policy making - media analysis Key Concepts critical theory social justice historical revisionism Questions to Reflect On - Who decides which stories are told? - How can we include everyday voices in history? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-democratic-675529/) [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Citizenry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenry/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decisions made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions-made/) [Decisions Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions-traditional-2373212/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Function Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function-traditional-2373210/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-laws-2373211/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-decision/) [Important decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-decisions/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Supreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme/) [Supreme court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme-court/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional/) [Traditional History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional-history-606361/) ## Related quotes > [Traditional history appears to be the defacto recognition of every evil deed that failed to be stopped or eliminated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dagobert-d-runes/traditional-history-appears-to-be-the-defacto-recognition-of-every/) [Dagobert D. 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