Revising History
I have loved reading about history from the time I was a kid. I had been reading “Little House” and I asked my Dad a history question. Instead of answering my question, he handed me a history book and told me to look it up. Ever since then, instead of asking Dad about something history based. I would go to the library and look up a book on what I wanted to know in the various books I read or a Television show I had watched. In doing this I learned about many things that were not mentioned in History class.
Over the years I discovered that some historical facts are glossed over due to the age of the students, which is valid. I also found out that not every part of an event is mentioned, for example the other people who took the midnight ride with Paul Revere. Also that legends have been taught as history, how many people still think that George Washington could not tell a lie when he chopped down his father’s cherry tree. Considering that history revision has been in the news for a year now, starting with Texas wanting to change the textbooks to take the “bad” parts out I have been thinking more and more about how people are wanting to change how we teach History in our schools.
As someone who was lucky enough to have a parent who encouraged me to find out things good and bad about American and World history this trend is upsetting. I was able to expand on what I was learning in school and discover more on my own. When I asked questions in class on some of the things I learned outside of school, the teacher did speak on it for a bit whether it was “good” history or “bad” history. The teacher then encouraged the others in the class to find more for themselves.
I really would like to know where revising history to remove the legend for facts ends and revising to make people and countries look better starts. I also would like to know why so many officials are starting to take the latter route especially for the public schools and tests like the AP History exam. Finally I want to know how the legends ended up in the history books in the first place, and was it a part of the revising to make people and things look better.