Field of Study

At its most basic level, the discipline of history examines the past—its events, peoples, societies, and cultures—so as to track the “evolution” of so-called human civilization. Yes, historians do this to understand how humans got to this point, but more importantly, they study the past to get a better sense of where we are going. To reasonably predict the future (if such a thing is truly possible), one must understand the world as it is now and be able to recognize longstanding and gradually forming patterns of behavior—both of these things, especially the former, are made possible by studying history. Yet history is not just about detecting similarities between past and present realities. Historians gain perspective and understanding through their work, as it requires an unbiased, thoughtful, but discerning mindset. Such an attitude is not only useful in this particular field, but is a generally beneficial one to go through life with. For historians, however, this mindset is most commonly used when they examine primary sources (an item that was created at the time under study), which can include letters, newspapers, songs, articles of clothing, official documents—the list is practically endless. 

Above: A historian, or perhaps archivist, working with a primary document.

History, of course, is part of a larger discipline: the humanities; a broad field that encompasses the study of human culture, behavior, and experiences. Meanwhile, history’s subdisciplines most commonly fall under the social, cultural, political, economic, military, religious, and intellectual umbrellas. For example, a political historian might study the development and shifting tides of governmental systems and political theories, while a social historian will likely focus on the daily lives of ordinary folk. Possible careers for a student of history include positions in academia, schools, research, publishing, museums, archives, libraries, and governmental agencies. Regardless of the exact path, and just like any career, historians must work alongside those who pursue a different calling.

Above: Studying history entails a lot of reading!

In the context of the issue at hand, the Great French Wine Blight of the mid-19th Century, a historian might work alongside a horticulturist, entomologist, or vintner. Additionally, if one was inspired by this issue in some way, they could become an environmental or agricultural historian, or more broadly, a cultural historian. For instance, they could investigate the impact of the Blight on France’s economy, and how that damage influenced other trends within the country, such as migration patterns. (More French citizens migrated to foreign countries, such as America, as a result of the economic downturn.) A historian might also attempt to track the origins of the blight, or more specifically, the origin of the pest that caused it. As of now, it is widely considered to have been an aphid, the grape phylloxera, that caused the blight, although historians are still unsure of how it arrived from North America into France. Some figure that the advent of steamships was a factor—after all, faster speeds meant shorter voyages, which in turn meant a greater likelihood of rogue aphids surviving the journey. As will be revealed, there are several more questions surrounding the blight that are left unanswered. While it is unlikely historians will ever pinpoint the exact vessel or date, that does not mean that the blight is relegated to the dusty tomes of history. Like all history, its presence is still felt, not the least because there is still no remedy to phylloxera infestation—except to graft French vines with resistant American varieties.