To What Extent Have American History Textbooks Accurately Portrayed American History? Essay Example
To what extent have American History Textbooks accurately portrayed American History? James W. Loewen wrote this tell-all to expose the real meaning of American History; “diffusion of ideas is perhaps the most important cause of cultural development”pg.39. Loewen realized that not one but all twelve of the top high school US History textbooks failed at making history somewhat captivating to their readers. These books eliminate any ambiguities and problems that arose during the creation of the American society. By not throwing light upon social stratification, American History textbooks allowed high school students to wonder out into a society that came into view as “the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer”. Loewen first started off by talking about Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson, and the process to “heroification” which was quite corrupt. He stated that American History textbooks painted the picture of Keller and Wilson as “perfect creatures without conflicts or human interest” for their course of action to mold them into “heroes”. Loewen felt that Wilson and Keller, and whoever else was glorified, in textbooks led students to misinterpret who they really were.
High school history books cantered over the settling of the Americas before Columbus and his sailors arrived. The textbooks portrayed Columbus as a scholar but failed to unmask his major part in slavery and genocide. “A European disease that wiped out the natives” was known as a myth to the people of Plymouth and in the Caribbean. Loewen stated that if the Native Americans had not made the sacrifices for the Europeans then the US would have been poor but textbooks neglect stating that fact. White Americans always ruled Black Americans; racial uneasiness was always around after 1526 when the Spaniards brought the first African slaves to the Pee Dee River. The relationships established between the Blacks and Whites encouraged the formation of the Republican political party and ended the
High school history books cantered over the settling of the Americas before Columbus and his sailors arrived. The textbooks portrayed Columbus as a scholar but failed to unmask his major part in slavery and genocide. “A European disease that wiped out the natives” was known as a myth to the people of Plymouth and in the Caribbean. Loewen stated that if the Native Americans had not made the sacrifices for the Europeans then the US would have been poor but textbooks neglect stating that fact. White Americans always ruled Black Americans; racial uneasiness was always around after 1526 when the Spaniards brought the first African slaves to the Pee Dee River. The relationships established between the Blacks and Whites encouraged the formation of the Republican political party and ended the