A Question of Power

Hello! I've been meaning to post this for a while now. I found an old quote by a webcomic artist I used to follow and it got me thinking about our Public History class and its readings. I'll give you the quote first and the reflection afterward.

"It is often said that history is written by the victors. This is only partly true. History is written by the historians. But no historian was ever infallible, uninfluenced by the passing of time, the changing of guards, the new discoveries and frontiers that occur in the ultimate stream of public consciousness that is the progress of civilization. Past actions are judged against the truths and morals of the present, a present that changes with every new leader, technological breakthrough, or philosopher that arrives to influence the world and send public opinion veering off course, changing the future, the present, and the past.
"One has to wonder what the truths of tomorrow will be. Will the vanquished become the victorious? Perhaps. And then history will be rewritten again, the knowledge of the past altered to fit the present. Perhaps more truths will be discovered. Perhaps humanity will learn and progress. Then again, perhaps the hostile struggle for the mere power to say what is right and wring will continue along a deleterious path as civilization spirals towards its destruction." -Anne E. Gripple

I thought this quote very much reflected what we've been debating all semester in class. Both Wallace and Glassberg discuss the power of historians in interpreting history and then relaying that interpretation to the public. Wallace maintained that politics or economics held the majority of that power. Glassberg seemed more focused on a community history versus a personal one. This quote, I believe, combines a bit of both. I agree with its assertion that the present is constantly changing and evolving which has a noticeable impact on how we perceive history and how we interpret it for the future. It's also true that while we try to maintain a certain level of objectivity, we're still influenced by our own time period and the viewpoints that brings with it.

So I'll put the question at the end of the quote to you: How do you see history and historians as progressing in the future?