United States History: Irrelevant and Boring

According to Loewen, United States history is seen as the most irrelevant and boring of all of the subjects to take in high school. He believes textbooks are the reason why the majority of students have a negative view on the subject. Teachers are dependent on textbooks, as many plan their entire curriculum based on them. However, textbooks provided in schools across America lack critical aspects that are needed when teaching students about United States history.

Loewen believes United States history is taught selectively. Throughout high school history courses, controversial and recent topics are ignored. Authors chose to disregard controversial topics such as the impeachment of Bill Clinton or the belief that the Iraq War was harmful for our country. Authors must walk on eggshells to try to prevent concern from parents or school boards who may have different beliefs. The same goes for teachers who fail to mention such topics because they are either scared of losing their jobs or have too many requirements to meet before the end of the year, that they simply do not have time. Teaching selectively is a disadvantage for high school students, as they are trying to get a sense of the world around them, and cannot without all of the information.

Students are taught to be optimistic. Authors use United States history as an example of progress. They attempt to inspire students for the future by telling them about everything the country has overcome. They lack discussing topics the country may always suffer from, such as racism and discrimination. Textbooks also always include a happy ending at the end of each chapter. Because of this, students rely on the idea that the United States can and will overcome any obstacles to come. Furthermore, by textbooks showing students that everything works out in the end, they tend to not put in as much effort since they feel like they do not need to. Students also tend to become more discouraged when they face failure, as they are not exposed to it as much as they are to success.

Loewen thinks leaving out controversial topics, the recent past, or even assuring a happy ending is the wrong way to approach high school students. They easily become bored and end up taking very little away from each history lesson. There should be debate and discussion of topics that are affecting the world around them. After all, history is still being made today and they are a part of it.

Despite the lack of information students are given, there are benefits to United States history being taught selectively. A teacher makes the same amount of money whether they chose to teach selectively or not. Ultimately, they decide to not put more effort in their teaching than necessary, yet make the same amount of money. In addition, the United States continues to be perceived as the international good guy because textbooks have no perspective other than the United States.

I have taken four history classes in the past two years and after reflecting I think my opinion on United States history would be drastically different if I didn’t have the teachers I had. I agree with Loewen when he says history is typically seen as the most irrelevant and boring subject. My history teachers in high school have had a teaching style that has made history enjoyable to learn. In one of my classes, we sporadically decided to take on a genealogy project where each student investigated their own history through their ancestors. Once I completed the project, dates of events were no longer numbers I needed to memorize. I found myself making more of a connection with time periods and events, as many of my own ancestors were apart of them.

Authors and teachers have a tremendous amount of pressure on them. They are constantly encountering situations where they have to decide if including certain pieces of information is appropriate or not for their students. When they include too much information they must deal with arrogant parents, while if they lack information on a topic they must deal with critics, such as Loewen. If I were them, I would feel overwhelmed, as they are always upsetting someone. In the end they are not trying to offend anyone, and are only trying to educate students while making a living for themselves.

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Chapter one, ‘Handicapped by History’, looks at historical figures, specifically Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson in order to prove that the majority of students don’t know why such figures are considered to be heroes. Students mainly recognize Helen Keller as a deaf and blind woman, as well as an advocate for the deaf and blind community. Yet many aren’t aware that she was a radical socialist for the majority of her life. Helen Keller didn’t see her disabilities as an obstacle in the way of what she felt her purpose was. She spoke on her many beliefs and should be known for advocating for what she felt was right. I did not realize Hellen Keller played roles in causes other than for the deaf and blind community, as I’m sure many other students did not either. There should be more of an effort in mentioning Hellen Keller in high school courses, as I think she is very influential. On the other hand, Woodrow Wilson may be spoken too highly of. Most students recognize Woodrow Wilson as the United States President who led the country through World War I in an orderly fashion, as well as an advocate for self-determination. In reality he was an extremely racist and selfish man. For example, he sent troops to Haiti when their government declined on helping the United States declare war on Germany. On top of this unnecessary act, he segregated African Americans from the navy and continuously talked poorly of them. This information is overwhelming, as Woodrow Wilson, along with many other historical figures have been put on a pedestal and is supposed to be one of our role models. United States history textbooks need to shift gears and only focus on those who rightfully deserve their title of being a hero.

Chapter two, ‘1493: The True Importance of Christopher Columbus’ discusses how the majority of textbooks do not provide the whole story nor all of the perspectives needed when learning about Christopher Columbus’s expedition. He too has been put on a pedestal, as we celebrate his discovery of America every year on October 14. In reality Columbus didn't discover America as there were Native Americans already living in America when he arrived. I found the treatment the Natives received from Columbus appalling. If they didn’t complete their tasks, the Spaniards would punish them by cutting off their ears, hands, and noses. In result, the Native Americans partook in mass suicide in hope to escape the suffering. Even pregnant women would attempt their own abortions in order to spare their children from the pain. This is mainly all new information to me which proves Loewen’s point. I have never been made aware of the cruelty the Natives endured, mainly because the textbooks I’ve read, as well as my teachers have mentioned nothing involving this. Americans will continue to celebrate figures such as Christopher Columbus as long as they are not aware of the acts that should be mentioned in history courses.

Chapter five, ‘Gone with the Wind’ discusses how racism is completely ignored in United States history textbooks. Loewen believes that by avoiding racism in textbooks, students are utterly blind towards it in everyday life. He states that for the first time in the twenty-first century, young white adults under the age of thirty, are more racist towards black people than anyone else. I found this absolutely shocking. In my experience it has been the complete opposite where people my age are more accepting towards other races than older adults are. Textbooks use optimism towards the subject by saying our society is constantly improving. They use the country overcoming slavery as an example of how we’ve become more accepting to black people. This allows white people to believe that racism has come to an end and that there are not any areas left to improve in. Racism may never come to an end, especially if our country continues to avoid talking about the ongoing issue.

Chapter seven, ‘The Land of Opportunity’ talks about how students are oblivious to the social classes that exist in the United States. Loewen writes that social classes might possibly be the most important variable in society today, yet textbooks tend to avoid the topic. He states that most Americans die in the same class they were born into. If this information was included in every United States history textbook, students may become discouraged. They realize that their aspirations may not follow through, which makes them not want to even attempt them. It’s not surprising that authors want to avoid talk of social classes, as there is barely any optimism involved. Teachers also might feel uncomfortable talking about classes with their students, as their students may feel targeted or embarrassed and not want to partake in the discussion. Society believes that people are poor because they’re lazy and do not want to work, when in reality not everyone is given the same opportunities. I agree with Loewen, it’s important for students to learn about the social classes existing in our country in order for them to understand that the majority of people are not improving socially. They have to understand that just because a person is poor, does not mean they do not work as hard as a wealthy person. Simply, poor people do not receive the same opportunities as the rich, therefore, they remain poor.

Chapter nine, ‘See No Evil’ discusses how authors blatantly avoid the Vietnam War in United States history textbooks. Loewen states that there is more discussion revolving the War of 1812, over the Vietnam War in textbooks. Unfortunately, I find this true in my experience. I’ve learned about the War of 1812 countless times, and I cannot remember being taught a lesson on the Vietnam War. Unlike myself, the majority of textbook authors were born well before, or during the Vietnam War, therefore, have insight on it, yet chose not to go into depth when mentioning it. Authors do not want to be portrayed as taking sides, as the Vietnam war may be considered to still be a controversial topic. I find it concerning that the Vietnam War is pushed to the side in textbooks, since it is one of our more recent wars. An absurd amount of people lost their lives fighting in it, in fact way more people died compared to the War of 1812. By high school classes leaving out recent and controversial topics such as the Vietnam War, students are ignorant of the United States warfare today and where it stands.

Chapter ten, ‘Down the Memory Hole’ discusses how United States textbook authors are more comfortable teaching the zamani over the sasha. I've never heard those terms before, but they are quite appropriate when it comes to the history of the United States. The zamani includes events that happened a long time ago, as no one who was alive for them then are still living today. The sasha includes more recent events such as the Vietnam War where there are still people living today that were alive during the event. By textbook authors waiting for the sasha to become the zamani, a huge disadvantage is placed on students throughout the United States. Yet again, the authors do not like to mention the sasha, since most of it is up for controversy. I personally think that it is important to use all of your resources when learning about past events. Which is why I think authors should make more of an effort in including the sasha in their textbooks. By avoiding the sasha, students become blind to the world they live in today.

In this class, United States history should be taught with no alterations. What I mean by this, is that there should not be any sugar coating to make a party look more favorable. Controversial topics should be discussed frequently, giving students the opportunity to debate with one another. Recent topics should also not be ignored, and students should be encouraged to make connections between past and present events. By teaching United States history truthfully, my peers and I will take as much as possible away from the course and be able to apply it in the world around us.

Throughout ‘Lies My Teacher Told Me’, Loewen without a doubt makes valid points. I have never evaluated why I have always thought of history as a secondary subject until I read his book. Although I have not read too many United States history textbooks, I know all of my teachers use them when preparing their lessons. ‘Lies My Teacher Told Me’ made me realize how much information I have been deprived of throughout my history courses. I had very little knowledge on people such as Helen Keller or Woodrow Wilson before reading this book. I was even oblivious to the severity of the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. The one topic I disagreed with Loewen on was racism. He states people in my generation are less tolerant to black people than people who are over the age of thirty. Some may argue it is because I am from a small, mainly white town, but I think people in my generation are far more accepting of different races. I am not saying that people my age never discriminate against different races, however, I find it more common in older adults. I think this is mainly because most white people over the age of thirty were raised in a time period where it was normal to feel superior to black people. Although we are not completely free of racism in our world today, legally all races are equal in the United States. Some white people may still think they are superior to black people, however, it is no longer acceptable to enforce any actions upon those thoughts. Because of this, I disagree with Loewen when he says my generation is more racist, as it is simply not acceptable to be racist in society today.