Many students like I, dislike history because I view it with a negative P.O.V. Majority of textbooks alienate student of color by taking an approach that blames the victim instead of the perpetrator. Some textbooks hide from us roles that people of color played. For example ‘‘Admiral Peary would not have been able to discover to North Pole without to help from there Inuit guide (loewen, 1995, p.66 ) . On whom the entire expedition relied on. Text book authors do a poor job trying to keep the reader interested because they tend to write as a mumbling lecturer. When reading a history textbook the stories they tell are too predictable, the reader already knows the conflict is solved or currently trying to be solved. Errors in history are usually …show more content…
Windrow Wilson has always been written from a white perspective.” His administration used the excuse of anticommunism to surveil and undermine black newspapers, organization and union leader (Loewen, 1995, p.20). Windrow Wilson was a white supremacist he used his term in office to belittle African American even more. ‘’He segregated the Navy, which has not previously been segregated, relocated African American to kitchen and boiler work (Loewen, 1995, p.20) Windrow Wilson was the only president know of who’s ever celebrated the Ku Klux Klan in the White House. “ In his infamous masterpiece The Clansmen, a paean to the Ku Klux Klan for its role in putting down “black-dominated” Republican state governments during Reconstruction (Loewen,1995,p.20) . Windrow Wilson is painted in a positive picture for the reason that he guided us through World War One and led us to victory. Wilson like many other so called heroes have been white washed. This is a threat to historical accuracy considering that it can change Americas Perception of …show more content…
John Brown Struggles for equality is always downplayed or sometimes not even portrayed. American History Textbooks described John Brown as being insane, but he was really sane.” “Governor Wise of Virginia called him “a man of clear head’’ after Brown got the better of him in an informal interview” (Loewen, 1995, p.176). Textbooks authors inferred Brown was insane by reason of his plans seemed bizarre. During his time period not many White men believed in equality of blacks, So Brown actions made no sense to writers between 1890 and about 1970. Not Many people knew that Mr. Brown was a man god. Some textbooks claims that “John believed that God had called on him to fight slavery” (Loewen, 1995 , p.180). But in reality “He thought deeply about the moral meaning of Christianity and decided that slavery was incompatible with it ‘’ (Loewen, 1995, p.181) . The Gettysburg Address is one of the most important speeches ever given in America. Five books do not even mention the speech, while five others provide only the last sentence or phrase of it” (Loewen, 1995, p.186) . The words are important by reason of students should ponder the meaning behind his words. Lincoln is known to be a president that stood up for African Americans. Most textbooks don’t include his second Inaugural speech and they use a fragment of it of his letter to Horace Greeley. This fragment of the letter presents
In the early 1800s, more opinions were being voiced about the treatment of the African-Americans. An educated African-American by the name of David Walker voiced his opinion about his communities need for equal liberties and all of the hypocrisy that was being ignored by others. For instance, in a paper, it was said, “‘The Turks are the most by bears people in the world – they treat the Greeks more like brute than human beings.’ And in the same paper was an advertisement, which said: ‘Eight well-built Virginia and Maryland Negro fellows and for wenches will positively be sold this day, to the highest bidder’” (Walker, 1829, p.177).
The Emancipation Proclamation is one of the most well known speeches in US history, due to its influence on the views of African American slaves. However Lincoln, the president at the time, originally did not have a side to the argument of the equal treatment of the African American race. This view would soon start to slowly change with the start of the Civil War. With the coming of the civil war, the Union needed soldiers due to the fact that they were losing many battles, and the African American males were one of the only choices. The other reason would be that allowing slaves to be free in the North would cause a revolt from those that were enslaved in the south.
When history is whitewashed, it is filtered to hide marginalized groups and oppression. Recently on the news, textbook company McGraw-Hill stated that the company will rewrite a portion of their book which referred to African American slaves as workers and immigrants (McAfee, 2015). I was offended by the fact that McGraw-Hill even published a book that slaves were called workers and immigrants. To say that African Americans were workers and not slaves changes the whole fundamental history of enslaved populations; workers implies a willingness, when in fact, African American slaves were not willing participants. When you change the wording in textbooks, you change people’s views and perspectives of historical events and their everlasting effects on cultures.
In 1952, Thomas P. Benjamin, an expert in the history of Abraham Lincoln’s life, published his book, Abraham Lincoln: A Biography, which argues that Lincoln’s election was the cause of the war but Lincoln’s efforts would also lead to the North’s decisive victory. This argument renders similar to the arguments of Charnwood and Ludwig, but differs in the way that Lincoln’s actions are glorified tremendously in this second time period. Lincoln, along with his actions, are depicted as highly thoughtful, incisive and effective. His clearly recognized position of the moral issue of slavery gave rise to Lincoln’s fame and aided his presidential election.5 Benjamin further states the point that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was an important milestone
John Woolman identified slavery as the major issue of his day- one that was nearly invisible from within his contemporary culture, in the way that militarism and consumerism are in our own. Those who shared his views on slavery generally recognized it as such a great evil that they saw no common ground between themselves and slave abductors, traders and masters. John Woolman was able to find common ground—even to love them as part of God’s creation—and take action. First, he provided an example of non-participation in slavery.
One of the most important wars in American history was the Civil War, it lead to change in beliefs and conviction in our borders. Fought from 1861 to 1865 many constitutional and social developments had to occur for our country to truly be free for everyone. Elections, conspiracies, assassinations, all to bring unity between the North and the South but also leading to a revolution. It pushed the South to rethink their belief that slavery is right and the Union to fight for the freedom that goes with being an American to all races.
America has always been defined by its political freedom and expressiveness, at the cost of intranational conflict. During the 1800s, The United States was in a constant state of political disagreement. The north and south fought on several topics, mainly the expansion of slavery. However, these arguments were about more than just slavery. They were arguing not only slavery, but the ideals and specific principles that America has been based upon since the foundation of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
In the United States, during the eighteen-hundreds’, a small group of people believed that slavery was immoral and did many things to abolish it. John Brown, a Caucasian male who was part of this group of people, did two things that many people in United States history didn’t have the passion to do. John Brown’s life was very interesting: His early life and transition to adulthood, his decision to fight for the cause, his actions of violence in Kansas and Harper’s Ferry, along with, the long-lasting effects of these actions led to his hanging. These events were pivotal to the beginning of the Civil War. “John Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut, on May 9, 1800, five months after the death of George Washington”(Marrin,7).
Civil rights has been a very harsh and long fight for those condemned to the title of Black, colored, or negro. Slavery in our country dates back all the way to 1619, where Africans were sold from Africa, to help colonize the new Americas’. Slavery then continued throughout the centuries, until those who were slaves, rose up against the unethical view on slavery. With this, certain people began to push against the ‘lost’ civil rights of the colored people. Two of these people include the well-known civil rights activist and as well as the well-known Stokely Carmichael.
For the United States, the mid-nineteenth century is a time when social activism in American society is reflected in the writing. These writers were determined to change the way of life, if not for themselves, for someone else. Their writings would become incite to some of the deepest issues of the time. First, social activism in America is seen in the efforts of women to gain legal and social equality as citizens and as human beings in their private lives. Elizabeth Cady Stanton wanted to change the rights of the female population.
The American Journey was published by Glencoe and National Geographic in multiple cities (New York, New York was the first listed). The authors are Joyce Appleby, Alan Brinkley, and James McPherson, all of whom have PhDs. Appleby was a professor and historian at UCLA before she passed away. She was also involved with the American Historical Associated, and was also a writer. Brinkley attended Harvard and Princeton and later taught history at Columbia University.
The Great Speech Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 delivered one of the most iconic speeches in American History. His delivery infuses us with such raw power and emotions that poured out from the bottom of his heart will change the hearts and minds of Americans for ages to come. Abraham Lincoln did not just write one speech he made five different copies with different sentence structure and paragraph structure, to show how important the layout of the message and how it needed to be simple and to the point. Dissecting “The Gettysburg Address” we begin to understand Abraham Lincoln’s heart lies, he reminds everyone about our past and that we should honor those who fought for our freedom; he tells us “All men are created equal” only to show us what we need to work on as people in the present, he spreads hope for the future and encourages us to grow together
A common controversy in American history is the fact that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. Many claim that he freed them with the Emancipation Proclamation but it’s more complex than that. There were many events that helped free slaves and the Emancipation was only a small portion of America’s journey to freedom and “equality”. In reality, Lincoln helped the process of freeing the slaves but, he did not do it himself. Lincoln was not an abolitionist.
On September 2nd, 1862, Abraham Lincoln famously signed the Emancipation Proclamation. After that, there’s been much debate on whether Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation truly played a role in freeing the slaves with many arguments opposing or favoring this issue. In Vincent Harding’s essay, The Blood-red Ironies of God, Harding argues in his thesis that Lincoln did not help to emancipate the slaves but that rather the slaves “self-emancipated” themselves through the war. On the opposition, Allen C Guelzo ’s essay, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America, argues in favor of the Emancipation Proclamation and Guelzo acknowledges Lincoln for the abolishment of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation.
Frederick Douglass’s “What the Black Man Wants” captures the need for change in post Civil War America. The document presses the importance for change, with the mindset of the black man being, ‘if not now then never’. Parallel to this document is the letter of Jourdon Anderson, writing to his old master. Similar to Douglas, Mr. Anderson speaks of the same change and establishes his worth as freed man to his previous slave owner. These writings both teach and remind us about the evils of slavery and the continued need for equality, change, and reform.