revisionist history

The scary thing about this post from We Are Respectable Negroes describing history as the Texas and Arizona legislatures want it taught is how closely it approximates history as it is actually taught in a lot [a majority?] of our public schools. It’s funny, but it’s not.

Edit: I realized a short quotation to give you the flavor would be useful.

1607– Jamestown founded. Capitalism, which can trace its roots to the Bible, is now firmly rooted in the New World.

1660-1800–Triangular Atlantic trade continues to bring wealth and prosperity to America while giving opportunities to new immigrants.

1776–War for Independence against the tyrannical, evil British empire. Colonists suffer oppression that is unprecedented in human history. Minutemen singlehandedly defeat the evil British Empire in 1783.

1788–The United States Constitution is signed as a document to stand for all time, inspired by God, and never to be changed.

1803-1848–America continues to expand westward into empty territories. American settlers make the land bloom with the help of friendly Indian tribes.

H/T Stuff White People Do

Author: olderwoman

I'm a sociology professor but not only a sociology professor. I keep my name out of this blog because I don't want my name associated with it in a Google search. Although I never write anything in a public forum like a blog that I'd be ashamed to have associated with my name (and you shouldn't either), it is illegal for me to use my position as a public employee to advance my religious or political views, and the pseudonym helps to preserve the distinction between my public and private identities. The pseudonym also helps to protect the people I may write about in describing public or semi-public events I've been involved with. You can read about my academic work on my academic blog http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/soc/racepoliticsjustice/ --Pam Oliver View all posts by olderwoman

4 thoughts on “revisionist history”

Right from the start (1607) you can tell that this is not an accurate rendering of the Texas guidelines. If those guidelines are adopted, “capitalism” must be replaced by “free enterprise.”

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Jay: good point.

For others who may not realize what a gem this whole thing is, I probably should have quoted more recent entries such as: “2000–George Bush elected in a landslide.” and “2008–Barack Obama is elected. America is in a Constitutional crisis as Obama is unable to prove that he is a U.S. citizen.”

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I’m kind of fond of

“1941–Patriotic Japanese Americans volunteer to place themselves in gated communities so that America will be safe from Imperial Japan.”.

Reading Yglesias piece on race in the new Texas teaching standards:

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/05/how-change-doesnt-happen.php

And the thing I can’t get past, is how and when did Thoreau become a hero of conservative thought? I mean Jefferson’s philosphies are so dangerous he needs to be removed but Thoreau is fine?

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