History or Biography

History and biography have several similarities, but they are not synonymous. Both the biographer and the historian search for evidence. They evaluate the information they find to decide if it is factual and relevant. History, however, is the recorded past of human societies; it tells the story of nations, wars and movements – the whole range of past human activity. Biography deals with a single life story. The historian is interested in facts and events that affect many lives; the biographer seeks information that reveals the subject’s character and personality. If the subject of a biography is a well-known public figure such as a president of the United States, his life story almost becomes a historical narrative. The life of George Washington, – for instance, is a significant segment of American history. But if the subject is a very private person, such as the poet Emily Dickinson, the biography is much less concerned with contemporary historical events.