Why do we teach little kids lies?

[MrFun]

What is interesting with history, is that there is one American war where the losers had gained considerable influence in rewriting and distorting history -- the Civil War.

Even today, too many white Southerners still get teary-eyed when they moan over the mythical "Lost Cause."
And they do not see it as treasonous behavior to fly the Confederate flag today over public buildings.

Of course, there were also too many Northerners who distorted the history of the Civil War, by either going along with the "Gone With the Wind" history of the Civil War, or going the complete opposite extreme in distorting the Civil War by portraying white Southerners as inhuman villains.

One of the distortions was that slavery never was an issue in American history, to the extent that it tore apart the nation.
That western territories were never tied to the issue of slavery. All part of the losers rewriting the history of the Civil War since the 1920's.

Usually it's the other way around -- the winners are in the more powerful position to rewrite history of a war. Not in this case, though.

[Q Classic]

well, sometimes it's just because the textbook sucks.

[Jaguar]

3rd grade history textbooks are funny.

The Civil War was very serious. It was fought over slavery and Abe Lincoln said the Gettysburg Address at the end. In conclusion, the Civil War was very serious.


Discussion questions:

Was the Civil War serious?

Would you feel nervous if you had to give the Gettysburg Address? Explain.


(That was from a Dave Barry column, btw, but it was almost exactly lik my 3)

Also they totally distort the colonial age. They act like the Pilgrims were the first people to settle the Americas, despite the fact that Jamestown already existed, and Spain had been in the Americas for ages. Then the pilgrims met Squanto, the friendly Indian. (IIRC the Indians attacked Jamestown a lot. Also, Squanto? ) Squanto shows them how to make corn, and then they have a feast with the Indians, which was the first Thanksgiving.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Jaguar Warrior
They act like the Pilgrims were the first people to settle the Americas, despite the fact that Jamestown already existed, and Spain had been in the Americas for ages.

And what about those natives who had been there for 10,000 years? Aren't they people too?

[Q Classic]

of course not, boris. they're not white.

[Dan Severn]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


And what about those natives who had been there for 10,000 years? Aren't they people too?

NO.


Charmon, I suggest you begin reading books outside of school on history. You'll still run into BS, but it won't be organized, and you will have an easier time spotting discrepancies when you have more than 1 (omnipotent) source. Stay out of the school Library, too. They don't buy books that contradict the politics of whoever is on the school board.

With my (2) more years of experience, I tell you that your teachers probably are just as apathetic as their students. They teach the party line, and get their paycheck.

MrFun, in my Region it is considered wrong to potray the soutern states as anything but viscious illiterate slave-drivers. Never mind the fact that few actually owned slaves, or that those who died in the civil war died for the rich. Most soldiers, north and south, fought for their homes and their honor. it is terribly unfortunate that the civil war lasted as long as it did and took so many lives. Had the Battle of Bull run continued in its early course, the war might have ended with losses in the hundreds. Sadly, the nation was ripped apart by four years of war costing 580,000 lives and irrevocable damage to the unity of the nation. As so often in history, it was the poor farmers and workers who died for the rich man's ideals.

[loinburger]

Boris and MrFun both get the "rolleyes" treatment for one-trick ponyism.

[Seeker]

How long was the shooting part of the American Revolution?

Why was there no 'American Revolution' in Quebec?

Weren't they under the same taxes, with perhaps more cause to rebel because of religious discrimination?

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Seeker
How long was the shooting part of the American Revolution?

Why was there no 'American Revolution' in Quebec?

Weren't they under the same taxes, with perhaps more cause to rebel because of religious discrimination?

Benedict Arnold tried to liberate Canada, but when he got there he discovered that the natives where French and wanted nothing to do with "whitey", and his jive-a*s revolution.

[Dan Severn]

First: 1775-1783

Second: French

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by MrFun
What is interesting with history, is that there is one American war where the losers had gained considerable influence in rewriting and distorting history -- the Civil War.

Even today, too many white Southerners still get teary-eyed when they moan over the mythical "Lost Cause."
And they do not see it as treasonous behavior to fly the Confederate flag today over public buildings.

Of course, there were also too many Northerners who distorted the history of the Civil War, by either going along with the "Gone With the Wind" history of the Civil War, or going the complete opposite extreme in distorting the Civil War by portraying white Southerners as inhuman villains.

One of the distortions was that slavery never was an issue in American history, to the extent that it tore apart the nation.
That western territories were never tied to the issue of slavery. All part of the losers rewriting the history of the Civil War since the 1920's.

Usually it's the other way around -- the winners are in the more powerful position to rewrite history of a war. Not in this case, though.

Somewhere there is a terrific website that contains transcriptions of speeches given by the major secessionists in the various southern state houses at the time when secession was being proposed. As a body of evidence they make it very clear that slavery was very much the major issue. Sometime I'll get around to running it down again.

The reason you more often here about the Civil War from "the losers" is that northerners have grown beyond the issue.

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Jaguar Warrior
3rd grade history textbooks are funny.

The Civil War was very serious. It was fought over slavery and Abe Lincoln said the Gettysburg Address at the end. In conclusion, the Civil War was very serious.


Discussion questions:

Was the Civil War serious?

Would you feel nervous if you had to give the Gettysburg Address? Explain.


(That was from a Dave Barry column, btw, but it was almost exactly lik my 3)

Also they totally distort the colonial age. They act like the Pilgrims were the first people to settle the Americas, despite the fact that Jamestown already existed, and Spain had been in the Americas for ages. Then the pilgrims met Squanto, the friendly Indian. (IIRC the Indians attacked Jamestown a lot. Also, Squanto? ) Squanto shows them how to make corn, and then they have a feast with the Indians, which was the first Thanksgiving.

So somebody answer my question: name the three ships that brought John Smith and the expedition of The Virginia Company to Virginia, and tell me where they landed.

[johncmcleod]

The reason the war started was mainly because of slavery. The reason the men fought it was the southerners thought their rights were being trampled on and the northerners wanted to preserve the union. We can't forget about the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. When the southerners were in danger of losing their slaves they made a huge deal about. That's why Kansas and Nebraska were pretty muich on fire in the 1850s. But I think the actual trigger of the war was Lincoln getting elected. Even though he said he would keep their right to own slaves if they didn't secede they were bent on war. If Douglass was elected-I don't know what would have happened, but of course Lincoln would've been a much better pres.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
So somebody answer my question: name the three ships that brought John Smith and the expedition of The Virginia Company to Virginia,

The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

and tell me where they landed.

Some godforsaken piece of **** swamp. They had a penchant for malaria.

[JohnT]

LOL Loinburger!

Can't name the ships, but didn't they land in modern-day N. Carolina?