Is History Created by "The People" or Individuals?

           When many people think of how history is created, they think of groups that made a big impact. “The people” tend to have a bigger effect on the world, but each group is made up of many individuals. In history, certain individuals create the events that contribute to history as a whole. Countries, terrorist groups, and companies all have specific leaders that are the face of their group. Also, every event in history has the one person that is thought of when that topic is brought up. It is that one person that made the biggest impact on a group of people. A group that is said to have created history is made up of individuals that really control the events that created history. 

            Countries, terrorists, and companies are all groups of people, but each have one person that is in charge. That individual is said to be their leader. A leader is “a guiding or directing head.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/leader). In history, these individual leaders create the base for events to come, and events themselves. A leader does not necessarily control the people, but helps their group meet their goal. Depending on the leader’s intentions, the group can either be considered good or bad. The United States’ leader is the president. As our leader, Barack Obama helps our country to live up to its potential, and also to keep the United States’ reputation strong. Obama’s main duties include being the Commander-in-Chief of our armies, passing and declining laws, and making treaties with other nation. (http://us-president.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_the_actual_role_of_the_president). Barack Obama is our countries’ individual leader that creates history in our world. In the completely opposite direction, is Osama Bin laden. He is the leader of the terrorist group, Al Qaeda. Bin laden has defiantly created history because he is said to have lead the attacks on September 11, 2001.  He has also led many other attacks making him one of the FBI’s most wanted. (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/osamabinladen.html).  Many companies’ executives use technology to create history. Bill Gates created the highly successful Microsoft Corporation. His creation “allowed businesses to run productively”, and forever changed the history of technology. (http://www.wc.pdx.edu/billgates/billy.html). Someone else who changed the history or technology was Richard Garwin. He was the original designer of the atom bomb in 1952. Garwin, along with many other chemists, did not mean for the bomb to be used as a weapon, though was later used to end World War II. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Garwin).  Groups of people may have seemed to create history, but the leaders of these groups caused the events that created our history.

            When a topic comes up in history, isn’t there that one person you think of? They were the ones that made the biggest impact, and were the most remembered. Who do you think of when you hear equal rights, baseball, or art? Martin Luther King Jr. was the frontrunner in The Civil Rights Movement. He is one of the most heroic men of all time. He sacrificed his life for his dream of equality. Without Martin Luther King Jr. as that individual that stepped up to save his people from even worse cruelty, the historical events today would not exist. (http://www.wc.pdx.edu/martinlutherkingjr/mlk.html). Another heroic man in history was Mahatama Gandhi. Gandhi managed to do the impossible. He fought for India’s independence, not by violence, but through peace. He said, “A non-violent revolution is not a program of ‘seizure of power’, but it is a program of transformation of relationships.” Gandhi made other leaders in history realize doing harm was not the way to get something done, but going at it with peace might be the better solution. (http://www.wc.pdx.edu/ghandi/MainIndex.html).  Baseball has always been called America’s past time sport. The one person that created baseball history was Babe Ruth. Babe Ruth stunned baseball fans with his fantastic ability to pitch. He became a phenomenon when he changed to outfield and became one of the league’s best hitters. Babe Ruth led the Red Sox and Yankees to win many championships wins forever changing the way baseball is known and played. (http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1698.html). One of the most influential artists in history is Vincent Van Gogh. Even though his paintings were beautiful, he was not famous during his lifetime. He sold only a single painting when he was living. It was after he died that his painting sold for large amounts of money. During his life, Van Gogh battled many mental illnesses, leading to him cutting off a portion of his own ear, and finally killing himself in 1890. Vincent Van Gogh lived a hard life, but our view on art history will never be the same. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh). All of these people lived completely different lives, but all had one thing in common. They all changed the way history is viewed. They influenced us with the help of some people, but created history as individuals.

            History is always changing, but how it changes depends on individuals. There have been many leaders of groups that influence the way that those people are is seen. These leaders include, Barack Obama, Osama Bin laden, Bill Gates, and Richard Garwin. There have also been many other individuals that helped the continued success of our world, through peacefulness, or fun. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi brought peace throughout two countries, using non-violent protests. Babe Ruth changed the history of baseball by adapting easily to new positions and techniques becoming one of the most influential athletes of our world. Finally, Vincent Van Gogh struggled through many hardships during his life, resulting in some of the most beautiful paintings in history. History may be seen usually as being created by the people, or groups, but individuals create the small events that contribute to the big events that change history as we know it.

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