[Pheonix 797]

As someone who is in college and in a DELUGE of books and crap I totally agree!

[Dust2Dust]

I was told highschool would be the greatest time of my life... So far, I ain't seeing it.  Also, I love how they show only postive sides to our history, never the negatives on what we screwed up on, so we know not to do it again in the future.  One of my teachers, whom I respected greatly, had the dream to go take an American history class in europe somewhere to get their point of view on things.  He also like U2

[RickEJ6]

Highschool the greatest time of your life? Id say it was pretty fun, but the key is NOT going to classes, or going and not paying attention.  I loved highschool, did I learn anything? Nope, graduated w/ a 3.7 and headed to college. No work, tons of ladies, and being retarded with your friends....thats what its all about.  

College however (at least my college, and the limited history courses I have taken)  seems to portray history more accurately.  Im in a Southwest Indian Studies class right now and it definately doesnt hold back on TRUE history.

[Long Trang]

The only descent thing about high school is your senior year.  While everyone has to stay until 2:45 most seniors get to leave at 12 noon[8D]  And there are a few other little things that are good about it.

[gixser13]

A must read....

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

 
1996 American Book Award
Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship

 
Publisher Comments:
Winner of the 1996 American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship

Americans have lost touch with their history, and in this thought-provoking book, Professor James Loewen shows why. After surveying twelve leading high school American history texts, he has concluded that not one does a decent job of making history interesting or memorable. Marred by an embarrassing combination of blind patriotism, mindless optimism, sheer misinformation, and outright lies, these books omit almost all the ambiguity, passion, conflict, and drama from our past. In ten powerful chapters, Loewen reveals that:


The United States dropped three times as many tons of explosives in Vietman as it dropped in all theaters of World War II, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Ponce de Leon went to Florida mainly to capture Native Americans as slaves for Hispaniola, not to find the mythical fountain of youth
Woodrow Wilson, known as a progressive leader, was in fact a white supremacist who personally vetoed a clause on racial equality in the Covenant of the League of Nations
The first colony to legalize slavery was not Virginia but Massachusetts
From the truth about Columbus's historic voyages to an honest evaluation of our national leaders, Loewen revives our history, restoring to it the vitality and relevance it truly possesses.


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James W. Loewen
James W. Loewen is professor of sociology at the University of Vermont. He is coauthor of the first integrated state-history textbook, Mississippi: Conflict and Change, and creator of The Truth About Columbus: A Subversively True Poster Book for a Dubiously Celebratory Occasion.


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Contents
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Something Has Gone Very Wrong

1 Handicapped by History: The Process of Hero-making
2 1493: The True Importance of Christopher Columbus
5 The Truth about the First Thanksgiving
4 Red Eyes
5 "Gone with the Wind": The Invisibility of Racism in American History Textbooks
6 John Brown and Abraham Lincoln: The Invisibility of Antiracism in American History Textbooks
7 The Land of Opportunity
8 Watching Big Brother: What Textbooks Teach about the Federal Government
9 Down the Memory Hole: The Disappearance of the Recent Past
10 Progress Is Our Most Important Product
11 Why Is History Taught Like This?
12 What Is the Result of Teaching History Like This?
Afterword: The Future Lies Ahead -- and What to Do about Them



and another one...Something for lead


Deterring Democracy
the complete online book......
good reading

http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/dd/

I came across a bunch of these
so if you want more let me know

[Elvis]

If you want some dark American history read about The Trail Of Tears!!

[IcePlatinumSky]

If you want some dark American history read about The Trail Of Tears!!

This post is old as dinos. If we are going that route we should read "Under the Banner of Heaven" or "Mountain Meadows Massacre"!!!

[Legs]

I don't know...college for me was one anti-American slam after another.  I had Michael Moore "films" and similar "knowledge" crammed down my throat until I finally stood up in class one day, told the teacher and the class that while I was paying for my education I intended to be educated, and left.  Next day things were quieter except for the fuming teacher's expressions.  I'm certain the history books do continue to paint too pretty a picture, but in college all I got was "It's our fault as Americans and the sooner we get that fact in our heads the better things will be for everyone."  Made me sick.  We live in the greatest nation in the history of man, and even with our many faults I'd never go elsewhere...having been in several elsewheres and lived there.  
This is all good info, but keep it in perspective.

[Ghostsequel]

I don't know...college for me was one anti-American slam after another.  I had Michael Moore "films" and similar "knowledge" crammed down my throat until I finally stood up in class one day, told the teacher and the class that while I was paying for my education I intended to be educated, and left.  Next day things were quieter except for the fuming teacher's expressions.

LOL, that's awesome.  Reminds me of some debates I had with a very liberal anthropology teacher in college...

The amazing thing is that in my high school history book, vietnam was perhaps 2 1/2 pages, and that was it.  Korea was about 1 page.  They spent about 4 pages and several weeks on the holocaust, and an entire chapter on the civil rights movement.  It's biased history, thanks to the people who control the educational system.

[IcePlatinumSky]

I don't know...college for me was one anti-American slam after another.  I had Michael Moore "films" and similar "knowledge" crammed down my throat until I finally stood up in class one day, told the teacher and the class that while I was paying for my education I intended to be educated, and left.  Next day things were quieter except for the fuming teacher's expressions.

LOL, that's awesome.  Reminds me of some debates I had with a very liberal anthropology teacher in college...

The amazing thing is that in my high school history book, vietnam was perhaps 2 1/2 pages, and that was it.  Korea was about 1 page.  They spent about 4 pages and several weeks on the holocaust, and an entire chapter on the civil rights movement.  It's biased history, thanks to the people who control the educational system.

Amen to that!!! I have been lucky to have let the public school system sophmore year of High School. However, I did finialy realize when watching South Park another aspect. What the heck is up with the save the Rain Forest B.S.

Also you mentioned the Cival rights movement. Why the heck are we still teaching this stuff. We know more about the Cival Rights than the Cold War or Korea. I feel that because we still teach and focus so much on Slavery and Civil Rights causes a Racial hypocrasy such as the idea of "Hate Crimes". Or why should a minority or female get the job instead of me even though I scored higher than he or she did. Not trying to sound racist, Just the other way around. The more we show we are different or favor one side insted of the other, only causes further racism.  Slavory ended how long ago? Yet you see the Race card still pulled out and held high.

Sorry I was just venting sorry I lost topic.

[Elvis]

If you want some dark American history read about The Trail Of Tears!!

This post is old as dinos. If we are going that route we should read "Under the Banner of Heaven" or "Mountain Meadows Massacre"!!!

Well then welcome to Jurrasic Park!!!!!! HAHA

[gixser13]

If you want some dark American history read about The Trail Of Tears!!

This post is old as dinos. If we are going that route we should read "Under the Banner of Heaven" or "Mountain Meadows Massacre"!!!

Old post means nothing as long as you have something positve to add

And I'm enjoying others input on the matter

[azsarge]

If you want some dark American history read about The Trail Of Tears!!

This post is old as dinos. If we are going that route we should read "Under the Banner of Heaven" or "Mountain Meadows Massacre"!!!

Old post means nothing as long as you have something positve to add

And I'm enjoying others input on the matter

I was going to say this, but decided that in doing so, I would not be adding to the thread.

Now that it's been said, I echo the remarks that reviving an old threa is ok if you add to it.  Legs had some interesting input, IMO.

[pythonline]

I've learned more about the vietnam "conflict" from playing battlefield vietnam than I did in high school.

The problem is that we are in a way too politically correct society.  You can't say something without it offending somebody in some way.  And for some reason, the MINORITY has more power than the MAJORITY.   Gee, I think someone should write some document that says something bad about these things.  Sort of a Declaration