Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

We’ve all heard Churchill's famous saying of, “history is written by the victors." While this may sound cliche or just not true, it feels more truthful after the first two weeks of class. In my reading of Postcards from the Trenches, the same question kept on coming up: whose story gets to be told and who decides that? 

Without a doubt, monuments are powerful at keeping history. They give communities a place to grieve, to celebrate, and to remember. Because most memorials are cut out of stone or metal, they are able to serve their purpose for centuries. However, monuments are expensive. A simple headstone costs upward of a thousand dollars and the Vietnam War Memorial reportedly cost 7 million, which is about 28 million now. That money doesn’t come from nowhere — it is usually paid for by the government or people with influence. For the people who pay for these memorials, if the memorial/monument does not reflect well on their history or themselves, they would not give funding for that project. When they build monuments, publish official records, or even fund a history textbook, they shape how future generations will see the past. The losers may have their own stories, but without power or resources, those stories often fade into silence. Over time, history becomes told by those with influence and power. 

This is exactly what the Hamilton song, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” is about. 

The song suggests that a legacy is not only about what someone does in their lifetime — it’s really about who carries their story afterward. The song proves that history is not complete, it is predominantly told by those who survive and come out on top. We will always be taught history, but it’s up to us to question what perspective we’re missing.