America needs more people like you, Hastein. People that are aware about the world and their government and that don't bitch and moan about everything because they're too stupied to get the big picture. I see it everyday in school. "The government sucks, we have to create anarchy! Down with the police! Blah blah blah." They say this without having any clue about whats going on around them
It's been stated here that American schools concentrate on the American Revolution, but I have met very few people who know the first thing either about the Revolution or the people who made it. Most of my fellow Americans' knowledge of, say, George Washington, appears to extend no farther than the fact that his face appears on the $1 bill and that he was our first president. I also meet essentially no one who knows even the basics of the history of science, and that is even among educated people. I must conclude that our schools are doing a poor job of teaching history.
Schools never mention the fact that the Native Americans were locked in a state of endless warfare and ethnic cleansing against each other long before Columbus came. Does that justify Columbus' exploitation? No. But it goes to show that the world had a very different mentality then it does now, and that the wars of the past are often mislabelled "genocide" for political aims. Columbus and the Natives had the same goals: spreading more of themselves. FROM www.newspeakdictionary.com
Thank you, I've actually gotten that response from others when I've voiced my opinion of society. But knowing myself, I would end up starting a dictatorship. The level of stupidity in regards to history and government is unfathomable. One of the prime reasons for this is that people are afraid to suffer for any reason, they are afraid to sacrifice. They bitch until they have gold plates, and then they see another starving mouth and scream of injustice until we give them gold plates too. TOP COMPLAINTS I HATE ABOUT THE UNPOLITICAL: 1. These taxes are too high. If I get a tax chunk taken out of my paycheck, I just suck it up and deal with it, because I know that the money is going towards the infrastructure of society (even if it is going toward bombs and not books) and ensuring that I have the everyday resources I need to survive. 2. There isn't enough social equality. To hell with equality. The fact that you are a human being doesn't entitle you to your own swimming pool. 3. There aren't enough minorities in this (institution, business, etc) Racial quotas are a form of racism, and tell you more about what these leftists really think about 'non-whites': that their race is more important then their character and that they are incompetent because of it. 4. Put an end to conformity. And what is left? Go listen to Fifteen while your culture dissolves before your eyes.
That's most likely because most of the people you know probably forgot everything they ever learned in high school. History is a mandatory requirement of every high school in America. If most people you know don't know it, then that speaks of their memory.
Well, why would they forget the origins of their country more than they would forget any other subject, or are you saying that no one remembers much of anything he learned in school? It seems more plausible to me that it's taught poorly than that most people forget everything.
If the students don't retain any knowledge of it, then it is the failure of the instructor to promote critical thinking through analysis of the subject, instead only requiring rote memorization of names and dates, then tests with multiple choice/true and false exams, and at the end of the day believes they have done their job as an educator.
I'd agree with that. It's not made to be interesting. The problem is that high school teachers are not paid very well. A lot of them are bitter trolls that want nothing more than this pathetic school year to end. Which in a way unites them with their students. A common despisal of the system in which they are trapped. Of course, there are some good teachers out there. I came across a couple in my school. Not a good ratio though. Another problem with retaining history (and other subjects) is that they don't come into play in life very often. Most people do forget most of what they learn in school. Except for those aspects that they constantly reinforce. The truth is most people are not interested in history. They couldn't care less about the Revolutionary War or even WWII for that matter. They have too much on their plate memorizing makes and models of cars and sports statistics.
how much history to people from other countries remember? i think the issue is what people remember vs what people learn from history courses. i remember learning a lot from history school american history: landing on america, formation of the colonies, atlantic slave trade route, revolutionary war, creation of the declaration of independence, lousiana purchase, enlightment & the awakening, wars with native americans, the gold rush, civil war, abolish of slavery, womens rights, implementation of steam engine, new canal routes, trains throughout NE US and then transcontinental railroads, treatment of Irish Americans & other immigrants (I most remember the Jewish & Italians), a lot of history from NYC including the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire & slums... how the working class were treated as depicted by Karl Marx, the Great Depression/Dust Bowl, WWI, WWII, African-America rights, MLK, Black Panthers, Vietnam War, the Iranian hostage situation. Those are a couple of things I can remember off the top of my head. I don't remember all the specific dates though but most of the important events I can still recall.
and I completely left out the Cold War... our US history class spent maybe a month on that topic & I remember having to write a ten page paper on communism... We also made a video recreation of Holocaust events when we were studying WWII. Yes I do think that history education emphasizes wars because we did spend a lot of time covering them.
and then there's primary & middle school lol... that was a lot of history dealing with the missionarys in California & the Mexican-American War
http://web.archive.org/web/20021017021255/www.hutchville.com/jack_handey.shtml Sorry, couldn't resist.
This is common knowledge for most who would be reading this. But it is relevant, and also demonstrates why it is crucial for more Americans to become aware. http://www.guerrillanews.com/counter_intelligence/207.html
Generally I find most of the people I meet to know little or nothing about their own history. And it's almost pointless to talk to them about it because they're not much interested.
Speaking as someone who does reenacting, (though am not very good at talking to members of the public) and has also read this thread, and lives in the UK, there is plenty of appetite for history. I have forgotten how many peopel have said "i saw something about whatever last night on the telly." And you get many people at reenacign events asking questions, some ratehr sensible, others not very ("is that a real fire?") The impression I get is that history is a somewhat hard subject to teach, without the right hook to it. but that a lot of people are interested in different facets of history, but there is so much out there that they dont necessarily get a good idea of history. Its all split up into little bits. Hastein: " tell you more about what these leftists really think about 'non-whites': that their race is more important then their character and that they are incompetent because of it." WEll, no. Hardly any of them think that way at all. I can see how you think thats what they think because it is another way of looking at the outcome of the situation, but itsn ot what they actually think. I am rather lefty myself, but dont support quotas, just a good education available for all, etc, and a sensible anti discrimination policy. "And what is left? Go listen to Fifteen while your culture dissolves before your eyes." Hey, isnt the free market economy all about individuality and freedom? or have i been reading too much propaganda?
History and Geography were my favorite text-book classes. Engligh was the most boring class to me. I wish I got more into science but the teachers sucked. Not to mention you can't take the more fun science classes until doing all the precursor ones so there was no way in heck I was gonna deal with 2 years of horrible and boring teachers just for that. I aced my first year and a half in math but didn't bother doing anymore because during the second year some lame integrated math program was introduced which had lessons taught in a way as if you're in the 6th grade.. it was a total joke. The only reason why I barely passed by not going is because the teacher I had was the same I had my first year so he knew I at least knew the stuff but didn't choose to do it. The most fun I had though was in woodshop and phys ed especially since I ran the classes (foreman and aid). Mexican Chicano literature sucked too and I never went back after the first day so I helped run another period of phys ed. Why they put me in that class, I have no idea. Not to mention I hate reading fiction. The computer classes were a joke as well.. using outdated computers and books I only came when tests were taken and I'd ace them so the teacher gave me a passing C grade because of my knowledge but couldn't be better due to me doing no homework or classwork and rarely being there. Heh, the only times I went other than for tests is when I was bored and decided to screw around on the computer and write some mini-progs. Then there was a dumb movie class where you just watch movies and write about the movie that I never went to either because it seemed so silly. Most classes were just an insult to my intellegence and I'm not claiming to be a super smart person so that says a lot about the classes, heh. The main reason why I didn't like most of my classes is because I didn't get to pick any single damned one I wanted. Everything was picked for me and it was all lame stuff so I basically focused on three classes and ditched the rest. I had around 4 months of absences in most of my classes so if you add in summer vacation and other breaks, I was rarely in school, heh. And the only reason why I passed high school is because I talked my way through it so my teachers gave me barely passing grades (C's or D's but A's in the classes I actually went to). I don't even remember much of high school, the same for Jr high. Everything I know is all basically self-taught or due to a couple community college classes taken in subjects that are actually worthwhile and helpful unlike chicano literature and "let's watch lame movies" class. - N
I have had a different experience with history that previously described here. I grew up in the south, but i have gone to schools all over. I have found that believe it or not, as we all know there are always many different versions of history (the winner gets to write it and so on and so forth) the versions of American history that are told in different parts of our country differs wildly depending on where you are learning it. For instance, in the south i learned about the "war of northern aggression" (aka the war between the states), but go north and look in their textbooks and the story "techniqually" is the same but its much less about slavery and all that and more about preserving the "union" and Lincoln is seen as the "savior" of the country. I actually had a good education when it comes to history, but thats cuz i had good schools. And i kinda already like history to begin with. I was one of THOSE students that actually enjoyed going to things like colonial williamsburg and watching civil war reinactments... i know i know, im a dork Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
