Great article, it's funny I started school in the 50's, high school grad '71. We were taught all those "ugly" things about America then. I hear people saying our history wasn't taught honestly then, but I remember a lot about the negative parts we were taught. We spent a whole year in 3rd grade studying the history of the relationship of our town to the Indians we conquered to live there, the whole bloody mess. That was 1965.
It's like the left suddenly decided nothing had ever been done about racism in 2020, nothing had ever been taught about it, and now protesting young people were going to straighten us all out. I wonder if future history classes will teach about the brutality of the current protest movements and how off base they were. I will be pushing for that.
I often wonder how much of this is due to youthful narcissism.
I mean, maybe a lot of this is just young people not wanting to come to terms with the idea that their own generation is simply not any better or worse than any other generation. It would certainly explain a lot.
The truth from a person who has the right perspective and education. We learned about the greatness and atrocities, maybe not in great detail because the volume of historically significant events is massive, but in sufficient detail to understand that our nation has had moral failings, but we are the ones who first overcame them. Well written and spot on.
We also learned all of those things in the 1980s and 1990s. It's strange when I hear people say we weren't taught history. We were. I haven't been in school for a while, so when did they stop teaching these things. Being from Mississippi, you would think we would be behind in teaching the bad with the good, but we always did until...? Or, maybe we still do, just not in an us vs them way. I agree with your article 100%.
Preach it, brotha! Yes. This is dead on point. So true. We can ‘walk and chew gum’ as Dems like to say, at the same time. America is profoundly flawed and imperfect, yet it is simultaneously a wondrous beacon of democratic glory. The far-right view that criticizing our nation is unpatriotic is ridiculous; that said, so is CRT. The idea that CRT is the antidote to far-right historical extremism is patently absurd. Consider the so-called 1619 Project. Prominent historians have pointed out the obvious historical holes in this ideology. I think we have, can and should teach American history from all sides in all its glorious, nasty complexity. Slavery, for example, historically-speaking, was horrific yet incredibly common; Africa itself was doing it (Africans enslaving other Africans) before, during and after the West ended the disgusting institution. We fought a brutally bloody civil war to end it. Much has changed for the better. We aren’t perfect. In some ways we can still improve. But c’mon. Middle ground, people; between the two extremes is the solution. And that’s where most Americans stand. Gordon Wood’s ‘Power and Liberty’ and James M. McPherson’s ‘Battle Cry for Freedom; The Civil War Era’ are recommended reading in this vein. Honest, in-depth, not extreme or ideological, and from the center-left POV.
The far-right view that criticizing our nation is unpatriotic is ridiculous. America is profoundly flawed and imperfect, yet it is simultaneously a wondrous beacon of democratic glory. I think we have, can and should teach American history from all sides in all its glorious, nasty complexity.
yep agreed in doing so people understand others with more nuance - nobody is a paragon, but a mixture of good and bad. Nuance is missing these days. Realizing this shows how easily freedom can be lost, as everyone we admire has a dark side.
Also, if famous historical figures were perfect they would not be inspirational to us imperfect folk. We flawed humans cannot emulate perfect beings and, frankly, their superhuman feats of heroism would be no big deal!
A colleague had a cartoon on his office wall showing two kids looking up at a statue of a war hero complete with extended sword and rearing horse. The caption at the base of the statue translates to: Tireless, Fearless, Never Gave Up!
One kid says to the other: That is nice but the trick is not giving up when you are exhausted and afraid!
I think of heroes as being just as flawed as us, but not giving quitting when exhausted and afraid, It's kind of encouraging that with training and time we could all improve to exceed our own expectations - maybe even some becoming heroes too.
I remember looking at a castle wall in my husband's town 3 meters thick all made by hand... People really underestimate what they can do and achieve together, and very rarely have a chance to see their true potential! Every one of us can be so much more.
Me, too. I think the true beauty of heroism - and why humanity across most cultures is fascinated by it - is that ordinary, flawed & weak people are capable of such great things. I collect stories of heroes like "The Man In That Water" - an Essay by Roger Rosenblatt for Time magazine.
Looking at American History and its social struggles - often bloody & devastating - I think of NASA's Apollo 13 mission, in which an oxygen tank blew and thwarted the Mission and jeopardized the Astronauts' lives Many see that event as a horrible embarrassment for NASA - but many engineers and astronauts call it "One of NASA's finest hours ." (BTW: the Hollywood movie does not do it justice)
The USA was 'born' into a world with slavery, racism, classism & xenophobia and hence had these "original sins" from the beginning. You cannot judge a baby by the circumstances of its birth - but you can tell a lot about a young person's character by how they respond to the discovery of great wrongs - especially those in which it is complicit. The USA almost destroyed itself in a devastating war to resolve an intractable problem: how can a nation founded on liberty allow slavery? (Certainly there is much more to the Civil War than that, but in the end, 1 Union soldier died for every 10 slaves that were freed - a high price in anyone's book). How many nations in history have almost torn themselves apart to resolve such a moral dilemma? That is not the sole example: there are many examples of America realizing that it is not 'living up to' its ideals correcting course - even if that correction comes with great pain.
Winston Churchill said:
"You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried everything else."
What more can you ask of a bunch of flawed humans? (And these critics with their oafish way of addressing social injustice are an obstacle to improving without much pain!)
This article is wonderful and reminded me of when I was a grad student in Astronomy. It was trendy for certain academic circles to "Take Science Down a Notch" pointing out flaws, etc. Once, a prof overheard us talking about this and said something powerful:
Science is done by humans and is influenced by human nature. However, when you compare the scientific endeavor with other human endeavors, it is far from the worst thing humans have done and, in fact, it looks pretty special in comparison.
I apply that to the United States of America - it was founded and run by humans and is influenced by human nature. However, when you compare the USA against other nations, it is far from the worst country humans have founded and it looks pretty special in comparison.
Too many in Academia today compare America against some ideal that has never existed and seemingly delight in finding ways it comes up short. They never judge America in the context of a nation of flawed humans trying to do the best they can. They hold America to a standard that no group (including Academia itself) could ever live up to.
When I meet these folks I challenge them: "If America is that bad, there must be dozens of nations that are more socially equitable - nations we can emulate. Can you list ten of them?"
Too many in academia compare America to an unattainable ideal and delight in finding flaws. They set a standard for America that no group (including academia) can meet. The USA isn't the worst nation ever founded.
Why do we fail to educate and teach kids and everyone about our rich diverse history that built America and that it would not exist without the people of all races and ethnic backgrounds that played important and at times lifesaving roles for our early leaders?
Why do schools not celebrate and teach about Gen. Richard Cavazos, James Armistead Lafayette, the Oneida Tribe, the 333rd Artillery Battalion, the Chinese Railroad, and the varied ethnic backgrounds of the Union Soldiers that died and so very much more? Our history is filled with people of all races, ethnic, and religious differences that came together and made America. Teaching American History should be easy to show people of all races that they are part of what was built.
Yet the Liberals of today bear no resemblance to those Founding Fathers. Analyzing the past from today’s prism is not only unfair, but it also borders on the ignorant. Liberals today do not seek to educate; they seek to destroy and rebuild in their image and only their image. They simply are a plague of people who would never fight to retain what America has built.
They are great on ideas and then patting themselves on the back and never looking back at the results. BLM and all the money raised. How much got to those who needed it? ANTIFIA that destroys the infrastructure where the poorest live. Defund the police that raises the crime rate for the poorest. Closing schools, remote learning, and dumbing down education. Who pays, the poorest students who will never catch up? Put illegals in hotels with money and support, but let the homeless sleep on the sidewalk, go hungry, and no medical help. Solar panels great, ignore the tons of them in dumps leaking toxins, along with the wind blades that never decay. Fossil fuel bad, but infrastructure bill so great. Needs fossil fuel equipment and asphalt comes from what?
What is their answer? Trump did it and it’s from his watch, not Slow Joe Brandon’s and their destructive ideas. Trump was by no means perfect, but he had a lot of good policies. Where are the good policies today?
Sorry, but today’s Liberals are destroyers, hateful of others, and not futuristic builders.
I am homeschooling my sons, and part of what I'd like to do with their studies is to remember the virtuous as well as the less than ideal aspects of American History and culture. Indeed, our constitution and restrained federalism seemed to be the only things keeping at least certain parts of our country free over the last few years, versus many other "first world" nations. Anyways, is there a curriculum you would recommend? Both high school and for younger kids. Thanks !
From local food banks and community outreach programs to nonprofit organizations and government assistance programs, these initiatives strive to make the holiday season a little brighter for those in need. https://christmasassistancehelp.com/
Thomas Jefferson living in an age of pseudoscience that justifies slavery... And again we are in an age that also uses bad science / pseudo-scientific and philosophical ideas that justify oppression and unequal treatment. (now focused on skin color, sex, and sexual orientation - and discriminating based on...) The sooner Critical thinking and knowledge of fallacies become standard in school the better. (This was the education of the classics. - As kings were educated.)
What to think and not how - is the education of a follower of the next poor idea. and not interested in allowing individuals to become truly free.
Well said. As I grow older the more I see critical thinking as the mental equivalent of physical skills like running: most folks know how to do it - more or less - but they are too lazy and/or out of practice to do it well. We need to go beyond teaching people how to carefully reason - we need to encourage exercising that skill!
Years ago, people kept themselves physically fit because physical skills were important in agricultural & industrial economies - in today's information economy, people should keep themselves mentally fit (ie. well-practiced in the techniques of critical thinking/evidence-based reasoning). Alas we don't and we suffer for it.
It should be as you point out, but it isn't. The modern liberal mind is more interested in destruction rather than thankful that they are where they are, though getting here had plenty of bumps. It's the bumps that they fixate on while at the same time ignoring, or not divulging, the bumps they will inflict if there's no counter to what they desire.
"The modern liberal mind" - I believe the problem is that there are few alternatives or nuance to many of today's arguments. In my opinion, both Woke and Populists are two sides of the same coin! - Both believe in homogeneous cultures and the importance of identity over individuals and individual dignity. Both are anti-democratic - one based on Marxist ideals, the other on the ideals that got the Nazis elected!
Both believe in cultural myths and the purity of culture.. (ignoring all of history is very mixed and all people very individual) Both are willing to take away people's rights once they gain power. Both use fiery rhetoric to get their way rather than building bridges of understanding. Both believe in an unnamed other who is a constant threat, as well as cultural myths and the separation of identity groups... Both are anti-science -one using bad science to promote ideas like unconscious bias (in a way that the researchers never intended- and that is not even reproducible! - conspiracy theories
I believe that many people who are unfamiliar with equity and inclusion simply know too little about it to see it as a threat to universal rights -the media does not help here, and there is little nuance to inform people, so only populism is focused on.
But neither believe in universal human rights nor in humanism...
Populism will not bring all of society together, and neither will liberalism while it is entwined with equity and inclusion (it's a perversion of liberalism and its ideals) - doing so will require a lot of bridge building and removing this ideology to return to the concept of universal human rights. in the end, it is people who need to connect with people as individuals who are unique and equally protected and valued regardless of race, creed, or gender. and not as a result of it
Great article, it's funny I started school in the 50's, high school grad '71. We were taught all those "ugly" things about America then. I hear people saying our history wasn't taught honestly then, but I remember a lot about the negative parts we were taught. We spent a whole year in 3rd grade studying the history of the relationship of our town to the Indians we conquered to live there, the whole bloody mess. That was 1965.
It's like the left suddenly decided nothing had ever been done about racism in 2020, nothing had ever been taught about it, and now protesting young people were going to straighten us all out. I wonder if future history classes will teach about the brutality of the current protest movements and how off base they were. I will be pushing for that.
I often wonder how much of this is due to youthful narcissism.
I mean, maybe a lot of this is just young people not wanting to come to terms with the idea that their own generation is simply not any better or worse than any other generation. It would certainly explain a lot.
The truth from a person who has the right perspective and education. We learned about the greatness and atrocities, maybe not in great detail because the volume of historically significant events is massive, but in sufficient detail to understand that our nation has had moral failings, but we are the ones who first overcame them. Well written and spot on.
We also learned all of those things in the 1980s and 1990s. It's strange when I hear people say we weren't taught history. We were. I haven't been in school for a while, so when did they stop teaching these things. Being from Mississippi, you would think we would be behind in teaching the bad with the good, but we always did until...? Or, maybe we still do, just not in an us vs them way. I agree with your article 100%.
Preach it, brotha! Yes. This is dead on point. So true. We can ‘walk and chew gum’ as Dems like to say, at the same time. America is profoundly flawed and imperfect, yet it is simultaneously a wondrous beacon of democratic glory. The far-right view that criticizing our nation is unpatriotic is ridiculous; that said, so is CRT. The idea that CRT is the antidote to far-right historical extremism is patently absurd. Consider the so-called 1619 Project. Prominent historians have pointed out the obvious historical holes in this ideology. I think we have, can and should teach American history from all sides in all its glorious, nasty complexity. Slavery, for example, historically-speaking, was horrific yet incredibly common; Africa itself was doing it (Africans enslaving other Africans) before, during and after the West ended the disgusting institution. We fought a brutally bloody civil war to end it. Much has changed for the better. We aren’t perfect. In some ways we can still improve. But c’mon. Middle ground, people; between the two extremes is the solution. And that’s where most Americans stand. Gordon Wood’s ‘Power and Liberty’ and James M. McPherson’s ‘Battle Cry for Freedom; The Civil War Era’ are recommended reading in this vein. Honest, in-depth, not extreme or ideological, and from the center-left POV.
Michael Mohr
Sincere American Writing
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
The far-right view that criticizing our nation is unpatriotic is ridiculous. America is profoundly flawed and imperfect, yet it is simultaneously a wondrous beacon of democratic glory. I think we have, can and should teach American history from all sides in all its glorious, nasty complexity.
yep agreed in doing so people understand others with more nuance - nobody is a paragon, but a mixture of good and bad. Nuance is missing these days. Realizing this shows how easily freedom can be lost, as everyone we admire has a dark side.
Well said, NC.
Also, if famous historical figures were perfect they would not be inspirational to us imperfect folk. We flawed humans cannot emulate perfect beings and, frankly, their superhuman feats of heroism would be no big deal!
A colleague had a cartoon on his office wall showing two kids looking up at a statue of a war hero complete with extended sword and rearing horse. The caption at the base of the statue translates to: Tireless, Fearless, Never Gave Up!
One kid says to the other: That is nice but the trick is not giving up when you are exhausted and afraid!
I think of heroes as being just as flawed as us, but not giving quitting when exhausted and afraid, It's kind of encouraging that with training and time we could all improve to exceed our own expectations - maybe even some becoming heroes too.
I remember looking at a castle wall in my husband's town 3 meters thick all made by hand... People really underestimate what they can do and achieve together, and very rarely have a chance to see their true potential! Every one of us can be so much more.
Me, too. I think the true beauty of heroism - and why humanity across most cultures is fascinated by it - is that ordinary, flawed & weak people are capable of such great things. I collect stories of heroes like "The Man In That Water" - an Essay by Roger Rosenblatt for Time magazine.
Looking at American History and its social struggles - often bloody & devastating - I think of NASA's Apollo 13 mission, in which an oxygen tank blew and thwarted the Mission and jeopardized the Astronauts' lives Many see that event as a horrible embarrassment for NASA - but many engineers and astronauts call it "One of NASA's finest hours ." (BTW: the Hollywood movie does not do it justice)
The USA was 'born' into a world with slavery, racism, classism & xenophobia and hence had these "original sins" from the beginning. You cannot judge a baby by the circumstances of its birth - but you can tell a lot about a young person's character by how they respond to the discovery of great wrongs - especially those in which it is complicit. The USA almost destroyed itself in a devastating war to resolve an intractable problem: how can a nation founded on liberty allow slavery? (Certainly there is much more to the Civil War than that, but in the end, 1 Union soldier died for every 10 slaves that were freed - a high price in anyone's book). How many nations in history have almost torn themselves apart to resolve such a moral dilemma? That is not the sole example: there are many examples of America realizing that it is not 'living up to' its ideals correcting course - even if that correction comes with great pain.
Winston Churchill said:
"You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried everything else."
What more can you ask of a bunch of flawed humans? (And these critics with their oafish way of addressing social injustice are an obstacle to improving without much pain!)
100% agree NC!
Amen! Perfectly articulated.
Thank you for this very thoughtful, balanced essay on how history can and should be taught. Ideas, not ideology.
This article is wonderful and reminded me of when I was a grad student in Astronomy. It was trendy for certain academic circles to "Take Science Down a Notch" pointing out flaws, etc. Once, a prof overheard us talking about this and said something powerful:
Science is done by humans and is influenced by human nature. However, when you compare the scientific endeavor with other human endeavors, it is far from the worst thing humans have done and, in fact, it looks pretty special in comparison.
I apply that to the United States of America - it was founded and run by humans and is influenced by human nature. However, when you compare the USA against other nations, it is far from the worst country humans have founded and it looks pretty special in comparison.
Too many in Academia today compare America against some ideal that has never existed and seemingly delight in finding ways it comes up short. They never judge America in the context of a nation of flawed humans trying to do the best they can. They hold America to a standard that no group (including Academia itself) could ever live up to.
When I meet these folks I challenge them: "If America is that bad, there must be dozens of nations that are more socially equitable - nations we can emulate. Can you list ten of them?"
Too many in academia compare America to an unattainable ideal and delight in finding flaws. They set a standard for America that no group (including academia) can meet. The USA isn't the worst nation ever founded.
Jeffery, a great read and well done.
Why do we fail to educate and teach kids and everyone about our rich diverse history that built America and that it would not exist without the people of all races and ethnic backgrounds that played important and at times lifesaving roles for our early leaders?
Why do schools not celebrate and teach about Gen. Richard Cavazos, James Armistead Lafayette, the Oneida Tribe, the 333rd Artillery Battalion, the Chinese Railroad, and the varied ethnic backgrounds of the Union Soldiers that died and so very much more? Our history is filled with people of all races, ethnic, and religious differences that came together and made America. Teaching American History should be easy to show people of all races that they are part of what was built.
Yet the Liberals of today bear no resemblance to those Founding Fathers. Analyzing the past from today’s prism is not only unfair, but it also borders on the ignorant. Liberals today do not seek to educate; they seek to destroy and rebuild in their image and only their image. They simply are a plague of people who would never fight to retain what America has built.
They are great on ideas and then patting themselves on the back and never looking back at the results. BLM and all the money raised. How much got to those who needed it? ANTIFIA that destroys the infrastructure where the poorest live. Defund the police that raises the crime rate for the poorest. Closing schools, remote learning, and dumbing down education. Who pays, the poorest students who will never catch up? Put illegals in hotels with money and support, but let the homeless sleep on the sidewalk, go hungry, and no medical help. Solar panels great, ignore the tons of them in dumps leaking toxins, along with the wind blades that never decay. Fossil fuel bad, but infrastructure bill so great. Needs fossil fuel equipment and asphalt comes from what?
What is their answer? Trump did it and it’s from his watch, not Slow Joe Brandon’s and their destructive ideas. Trump was by no means perfect, but he had a lot of good policies. Where are the good policies today?
Sorry, but today’s Liberals are destroyers, hateful of others, and not futuristic builders.
Im Canadian and thoroughly enjoyed this piece. It applies to us all.
Excellent piece. Thank you for this.
I am homeschooling my sons, and part of what I'd like to do with their studies is to remember the virtuous as well as the less than ideal aspects of American History and culture. Indeed, our constitution and restrained federalism seemed to be the only things keeping at least certain parts of our country free over the last few years, versus many other "first world" nations. Anyways, is there a curriculum you would recommend? Both high school and for younger kids. Thanks !
From local food banks and community outreach programs to nonprofit organizations and government assistance programs, these initiatives strive to make the holiday season a little brighter for those in need. https://christmasassistancehelp.com/
A Plea To My Posterity
When gazing back through mists of time
And you feel grateful for what I’ve left behind
Don’t turn a blind eye to the wrongs you find
Think me not a proud deceitful man
Who sits content in shadow lands
Honor the good that I hope you’ll see
But do not defend what new light dispels
For the deepest yearning of my heart
Is to embrace the whole, not just a part
So if it’s on my shoulders that you now stand
With greater sight to navigate this fallen land
Take note of what to me was hidden
That kept me from a grander vision
Turn your heart to me my child
Integrate the past with present
Do your part to reconcile
Redeem my wrongs by doing better
This is how you’ll honor me.
This is how you set us free.
Thomas Jefferson living in an age of pseudoscience that justifies slavery... And again we are in an age that also uses bad science / pseudo-scientific and philosophical ideas that justify oppression and unequal treatment. (now focused on skin color, sex, and sexual orientation - and discriminating based on...) The sooner Critical thinking and knowledge of fallacies become standard in school the better. (This was the education of the classics. - As kings were educated.)
What to think and not how - is the education of a follower of the next poor idea. and not interested in allowing individuals to become truly free.
Well said. As I grow older the more I see critical thinking as the mental equivalent of physical skills like running: most folks know how to do it - more or less - but they are too lazy and/or out of practice to do it well. We need to go beyond teaching people how to carefully reason - we need to encourage exercising that skill!
Years ago, people kept themselves physically fit because physical skills were important in agricultural & industrial economies - in today's information economy, people should keep themselves mentally fit (ie. well-practiced in the techniques of critical thinking/evidence-based reasoning). Alas we don't and we suffer for it.
It should be as you point out, but it isn't. The modern liberal mind is more interested in destruction rather than thankful that they are where they are, though getting here had plenty of bumps. It's the bumps that they fixate on while at the same time ignoring, or not divulging, the bumps they will inflict if there's no counter to what they desire.
"The modern liberal mind" - I believe the problem is that there are few alternatives or nuance to many of today's arguments. In my opinion, both Woke and Populists are two sides of the same coin! - Both believe in homogeneous cultures and the importance of identity over individuals and individual dignity. Both are anti-democratic - one based on Marxist ideals, the other on the ideals that got the Nazis elected!
Both believe in cultural myths and the purity of culture.. (ignoring all of history is very mixed and all people very individual) Both are willing to take away people's rights once they gain power. Both use fiery rhetoric to get their way rather than building bridges of understanding. Both believe in an unnamed other who is a constant threat, as well as cultural myths and the separation of identity groups... Both are anti-science -one using bad science to promote ideas like unconscious bias (in a way that the researchers never intended- and that is not even reproducible! - conspiracy theories
I believe that many people who are unfamiliar with equity and inclusion simply know too little about it to see it as a threat to universal rights -the media does not help here, and there is little nuance to inform people, so only populism is focused on.
But neither believe in universal human rights nor in humanism...
Populism will not bring all of society together, and neither will liberalism while it is entwined with equity and inclusion (it's a perversion of liberalism and its ideals) - doing so will require a lot of bridge building and removing this ideology to return to the concept of universal human rights. in the end, it is people who need to connect with people as individuals who are unique and equally protected and valued regardless of race, creed, or gender. and not as a result of it
One of the best explanations I've read sanctioning my decision to leave the D/R universe for small "L" libertarianism.