History is an on-going dialogue between the present and the past, about how the past should be understood and interpreted, about what meaning we should assign to the past. An informed understanding of the present and our expectations for the future go hand-in-hand with a knowledge of history. History provides an essential framework for all the humanities and social sciences. The study of history further promotes the acquisition of important professional skills such as the ability to conduct archival research and the ability to interpret information embedded in the past.