And add that the art... or science... of History goes through fashions as well... 19th century French Positivism, with its assumptions that history was a story of "evolution" to a higher culture (which, oddly enough, resembled that of 19th century France) was particularly influential here (in Latin America).  It seems to be going out of fashion, though coming back in fashion (in another form) in the English-speaking world:  while there is less interest in the "great man" school of History, scholars are writing on smaller events and forgotten history (an example might be a book I just read on 17th century convents in Mexico, or studies of Mexican-American farmers in Texas ), more or less meant to show "progression" towards our contemporary attitudes and cultural norms.  Just that it's no longer France, but that its liberal capitalism that is the "evolved" state.