The author begins with an example of an exercise he assigned to his grade eight class in which they were to write a letter about a historical journey. The completed letters did not take into consideration historical thinking or empathy, an outcome the author had anticipated and hoped for. As a result, the author has begun to study students’ needs and understanding of historical empathy even though there has been a backlash in the historical community surrounding the use of empathy within the classroom. The author warns, however, that historical empathy is not sympathy or an appreciative sentiment; rather, empathy induces a richer understanding in context, which is intellectual in nature. It uses narratives and active engagement when thinking about a specific person or event. In order to assist with the understanding of what historical empathy entails, the author suggests using the term “perspective taking” instead. The author continues with a description of what historical empathy entails. The use of empathy in schools, as described by the author, is not a whimsical pursuit but is imagination that is bolstered by historical evidence. According to the author, there are two main issues of dissent for using historical empathy in school classrooms: claims about prior knowledge and the instructional sequence. The teacher is essential in aiding student development toward using historical empathy and thinking. The author concludes with a discussion of the research of historical thinking in children and a call for future work in the field.