tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post114412078096076467..comments2024-03-28T01:33:17.573-04:00Comments on History Is Elementary: Calling All History Teachers.....EHThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144291093702127132006-04-05T22:38:00.000-04:002006-04-05T22:38:00.000-04:00I have a quote on my wall attributed to Napolean, ...I have a quote on my wall attributed to Napolean, if I remember correctly. It's along the lines of "History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon." <BR/><BR/>I start every year explaining that everything the kids read and hear has some kind of bias built into it and part of their job as students is to figure out how to sort the bias out from the facts. <BR/><BR/>Personally, I think that attitude makes teaching history far more interesting. I live in Virginia where all of the founding fathers owned slaves. You can bet that's something we talk about. I try to use primary sources whenever possible during this discussion.Christine https://www.blogger.com/profile/13875375610840667246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144206038709669632006-04-04T23:00:00.000-04:002006-04-04T23:00:00.000-04:00History is in the eyes of the beholder. Take the R...History is in the eyes of the beholder. Take the Rev. War for instance. No, wait, it was not a revolution, it was a revolt by a group of ungrateful spoiled colonists who don't appreciate all that has been done for them by the King....that is, if you are British. Wait! this rebellion must be stopped! If these greedy white people get their way, where will my people be? That is, if you are a Deleware, Shawnee, or other member of a tribe in the Ohio River Valley. <BR/><BR/>History is perspective. No textbook can provide the complete prosepective....it takes a more specialized telling than a survey type textbook can provide, (unless you want to cart around a 20,000 page textbook)<BR/><BR/>With the recent protest marches by those who profess to be against Congress and their recent talks about illegal immigration reform, well, these people should wave the flag of Mexico and complain about how Mexico was stolden by los gringos del norte. Hummmmmm, or was it conquered militarily? Kind of like the Spanish took it away from the Aztecs? Kind of like the Aztecs carved their niche out of lands claimed by other tribes.....<BR/><BR/>I'd ignore that email. How did it get sent to you anyhow?Dan Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13397636504405471939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144205648938294102006-04-04T22:54:00.000-04:002006-04-04T22:54:00.000-04:00Anyone who has been out of school for at least a f...Anyone who has been out of school for at least a few years knows that not everything we see in history books is exactly how it happened. There are going to be some liberties taken. Even a biopic on tv can't show everything. Not only is it possible, it's time consuming.<BR/><BR/>Maybe it's the books used, but I do think some texts are not as cut and dry as anonymous tries to make it seem.<BR/><BR/>What worries me, however, is the seemed attack on you for being a messenger of such liberties. I could be reading this wrong, but to me, it's one thing to hate the game, another entirely to hate the players.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08262988549970554970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144204543760654132006-04-04T22:35:00.000-04:002006-04-04T22:35:00.000-04:00Thanks for the comments so far. I really apprecia...Thanks for the comments so far. I really appreciate the suggestions. I'm still working on my response.EHThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964668210604436937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144199645837697322006-04-04T21:14:00.000-04:002006-04-04T21:14:00.000-04:00I think the plant man and Kevin offer some good su...I think the plant man and Kevin offer some good suggestions. Kevin's response is particularly on target. Works by John Hope Franklin and Carter G. Woodson are also helpful.<BR/><BR/>Textbooks aren't perfect yet, but they are much better now than they were when we were in school. <BR/><BR/>Anonymous makes some very valid issues. Even I have some some touchy points when it comes to the Founding Fathers, but I keep it all in perspective. Hopefully, Anonymous is doing some independent reading/research. <BR/><BR/>By the way, thanks for adding me to your Blogroll. I'll add you to mine. Great site and resources!Deb Sistrunk Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14072871724975222638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144188656087623662006-04-04T18:10:00.000-04:002006-04-04T18:10:00.000-04:00Thanks for sharing this email. I think there is a...Thanks for sharing this email. I think there is a great deal going on in this email. There is an element of recent Founding Fathers bashing that has been fashionable of late. However, the author does have a point re: textbooks. Perhaps you can recommend James Loewen's Lies My Teachers Told Me. My research centers on how Americans have chosen to remember the Civil War. If you look at textbooks from the turn of the last century you will find very little on slavery or emancipation. And as late as 1937 W.E.B. Dubois was still responding to people who viewed Reconstruction as a defense of "ignorant" black politicians and white Carpetbaggers. Whatever you decide make sure you give this individual a few references, assuming that he/she is really interested in exploring this topic. Good luck.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16445268373019332557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144161427909001152006-04-04T10:37:00.000-04:002006-04-04T10:37:00.000-04:00Honestly? I don't think I'd even bother responding...Honestly? I don't think I'd even bother responding. It's one thing to have a different perspective, but that seems to come from an entirely disjointed universe.Amerlochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17001434250939119091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20993778.post-1144125154288377192006-04-04T00:32:00.000-04:002006-04-04T00:32:00.000-04:00I'd tell him bias will always exist and it is the ...I'd tell him bias will always exist and it is the job of the historian to examine different sources. Not an easy problem...Refer him to Hegel, Kant, Humboldt...The Plant Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03889734303357417676noreply@blogger.com