William Cronon’s AHA Speech: The Importance of History

One of the issues that William Cronon anticipates it will continue challenging in the field of history and storytelling is the best method of addressing the membership of American Historical Association (AHA). It has been a significant challenge in his presidential duties as well as those of the previous presidents. Most of the previous presidents have been focused on perusing through the previous addresses on the AHA membership aiming to have an idea of the manner to address the challenge (AHA Presidential Address: "Storytelling" 2013). While addressing the challenge, AHA presidents offer broad philosophical statements on the meaning of history, the needed actions, and the roles of history in the current life. 

Subgenres were utilized in the process of trying to address the challenge in the previous leadership. William considered the first genre manifestoes and the second one monographs, and he decided he should contribute to the strategies involved in addressing the challenge of AHA membership. During his leadership, William struggled to persuade the audience that the study of history should be broadened to include human beings and other organisms on earth. Such companions of human beings include plants, animals, and other microorganisms because human history is a contribution of such organisms as well as the geographical process, climate, and ecosystems (AHA Presidential Address: "Storytelling" 2013). The nature of our environment contains an extraordinary and unnoticed amount of human history. William was focused on offering a manifesto of prophecy related to environmental history, which would act as the new strategy in addressing the challenge. William later changed his mind and dropped the idea, as it would lead to the circuitous path and commit him to one of the presidential addresses. 

Reference 

AHA Presidential Address: "Storytelling" ( 2013). 2013 Annual Meeting: William Cronon's Presidential Address: "Storytelling ." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWf3wrxvACg