> It is important to understand why historians have put so much weight on things like the french revolution and the trappings of the Roman Empire. It's true th

> It is important to understand why historians have put so much weight on things like the french revolution and the trappings of the Roman Empire. It's true that things have provenance. However, one of the things you learn as a modern history undergrad is this: be skeptical and critical of the historical record. The historical record isn't a perfect reflection of the past. It's always coloured. Why is so much emphasis put on the French Revolution? Or the American Revolution? Because both events are re-purposed to support national identities of both modern France and America. Those identities encompass a vast range of cultural and moral values that permeate daily and societal life. It provides an answer to the question "Who are we?" However, when the Parisians took to the Bastille on the 14th of July or the Bostonians decided to throw British tea overboard, they didn't do so with the decisive notion "Well, this will lead to the establishment of the Republic with all it's modern trappings and entire national mythology." No. They just did that as an expression to their grievances to their legitimate sovereign at that particular time in history, and not much more. It's the responsibility of historical researchers to undo history of the many layers of meaning and value, and re-tell the story as it unfolded at the time based on established facts.