I would like you to read and ponder all of these quotes carefully. Select one from each section that interests you most and write your opinion for both.
Section One: The teaching of history
“High school students hate history. When they list their favorite subjects, history invariably comes in last. Students consider history the ‘most irrelevant’ of twenty-one subjects commonly taught in high school.” James Loewen
“We see things not as they are but as we are.” Anais Nin
“American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” James Baldwin
“There is no other country in the world where there is such a large gap between the sophisticated understanding of some professional historians and the basic education given by teachers.” Marc Ferro
“Learning social studies is, to no small extent, whether in elementary school of the university, learning to be stupid.” Jules Henry
Section Two: Indians and history
“What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [in American Indian slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil, and cruel among them.” Bartolome De Las Casas
“Considering that virtually none of the standard fare surrounding Thanksgiving contains an ounce of authenticity, historical accuracy, or cross-cultural perception, why is it so apparently ingrained? Is it necessary to the American psyche to perpetually exploit and debase its victims in order to justify its history? Michael Dorris
“The invaders also anticipated, correctly, that other Europeans would question the morality of their enterprise. They therefore [prepared] quantities of propaganda to overpower their own countrymen’s scruples. The propaganda gradually took standard form as an ideology with conventional assumptions and semantics. We live with it still.” Francis Jennings
“There is not one Indian in the whole of this country who does not cringe in anguish and frustration because of these textbooks. There is not one Indian child who has not come home in shame and tears.” Rupert Costo
“God has not been preparing the English speaking and Teutonic peoples for a thousand years for nothing….He has given us the spirit of progress to overwhelm the forces of reaction throughout the earth. He has made us adept in government that we may administer government among savage and senile people…..And of all our race He has marked the American people as His chosen nation to finally lead in the redemption of the world.” Senator Albert Beveridge, 1900
18 comments:
“We see things not as they are but as we are.”
-Anais Nin
• Throughout history, it is hard to find truth behind any historical “fact,” merely because there is so much bias in the interpretation of history. For example, we as freedom loving American’s cannot look back at the civil war without labeling the North as “the good guys” and the South as “the bad guys.” This is because we ourselves relate to the views of the North. This one example of historical bias, no matter how true, limits us to only being able to see one half of an entire picture.
“The invaders also anticipated, correctly, that other Europeans would question the morality of their enterprise. They therefore [prepared] quantities of propaganda to overpower their own countrymen’s scruples. The propaganda gradually took standard form as an ideology with conventional assumptions and semantics. We live with it still.”
-Francis Jennings
• As sad and unfortunate as it is, this statement bears whole truth. Just as evil dictators have used propaganda to lure followers to their cause, we have used propaganda throughout the history of our country to convince the world of why we unjustly wiped out an entire race. As young kids, we are all taught about the “peaceful” cooperation between the Indians and the European settlers. These lies have made their way into hard covered textbooks, and are printed as facts. This proves that we have accepted the propaganda enough to believe it to be real in our day-to-day lives. Unless educated otherwise, these lies remain as facts and continue to be told as so.
Alex Morency
History P.6
September 22, 2008
“American History is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever talked about” – James Baldwin
The words of Baldwin suggests that American history is hugely complex and diverse. In order to get to where we are today, American had to experience both harsh times and amazing moments. From the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the Civil Rights Movement, American has shown a great amount of strength and courage. But then again, you can’t forget about how Columbus came to the New World, and his compatriots killed thousands and thousands of Native Americans or deadly battles fought in the name of independence. Because of these horrible and wonderful events, American is the country it is today. These defining moments are what shape the country, and in way, shape our lives.
“What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [in American Indian Slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil, and cruel among them” – Bartolome De Las Casas
I agree with the words of De Las Casas. The most horrible thing about these actions was that nobody felt that they were doing anything wrong. Throughout history, from the ancient Greeks to the Romans and cultures throughout the world, there has always been some form of caste system or social hierarchy. In the New World, Indians lived a free life until Europeans came and took away their freedom The New World was one of the few places that didn’t have this unfair social hierarchy.
"Learning social studies is, to no small extent, whether in elementary school or the university, learning to be stupid." -Jules Henry
What exactly Jules Henry's intent was in saying this, and how he expected to explain it, is beyond me. Learning social studies, at all levels, is a fundamental part of education. Not because it helps improve any of the main skills needed to get through school: awareness of what came before you will not improve your math or writing. It does, however, help us understand the workings of the world today. After all, the era in which we live now will be history one day too. In many ways, this knowledge and understanding will be far more valuable in the real world than solving a math problem or analyzing a piece of literature. What we learn from studying those that came before us will teach us what to expect now and in the future, and help us develop as people. We are affected by learning history, often in both good and bad ways, because it teaches us about the tendencies of the human race. This awareness shapes us as people: we often prosper from mimicking others' actions and learn from their mistakes. Who we are today is a result of who our ancestors were so many years ago.
“The invaders also anticipated, correctly, that other Europeans would question the morality of their enterprise. They therefore [prepared] quantities of propaganda to overpower their own countrymen’s scruples. The propaganda gradually took standard form as an ideology with conventional assumptions and semantics. We live with it still.” –Francis Jennings
When the colonizers came to the Western Hemisphere, the brutality with which they confronted the natives was absolutely appalling. They didn’t treat them like human beings, and often slaughtered them for the sole purpose of obtaining more land for themselves. The Europeans justified these horrific actions by calling the natives savages, though they were really just different from the Europeans. In fact, the “savages” were, in many ways, more civilized than the colonizers. Nevertheless, the colonizers had to justify their actions somehow, and so this was how they explained themselves. Today, the general world view of the colonization of the Americas in no way accurately represents what really happened. Elementary schools are taught that the Europeans came and made friends with the Indians, and I would guess that the majority of Americans accepts this idea as well. Our country takes part in a major holiday every year that celebrates the peace made between the Europeans and the Indians. But really, the country, and much of the world, is living a lie, and it is all a result of the excuses that the colonizers originally made up to justify their actions, hundreds of years ago.
Donilyn Hunter-Sallustio
Period: 6
September 20, 2008
Blog Questions:
Section 1:
“American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” James Baldwin
- Although America is a very young country, the people that inhabited it 500 years ago, all had a very long history. Although their history is not directly about America, it made a huge influence on how America was formed. For example, many early Americans were searching for Gold and riches, just as they were in their mother country. People’s experiences with their mother country are what shaped America. Another example is the Puritans. Because they did not have rights in England, when they came to America, they made sure that they and other religions had the rights they deserved. Also, although America is presently the most striving and fair countries, in order to get here, we went through some pretty bad rough stages and decisions. Although the slave trade was a terrible thing, America was able to see this much MUCH sooner than say Egypt, or Rome. Our ability to learn so quicly shows what an incredible country America is. People also sugar coat the facts about American history way too much. We are afraid to completely admit our defeats and wrong doings. Overall this is not a good idea, because without the complete knowledge of a failure, we might be oblivious enough to repeat it.
“There is not one Indian in the whole of this country who deos not cringe in anguish and frustration because of these textbooks. There is not one Indian child who has not come home in shame and tears.” Rupert Costo
- Textbooks should either tell the complete truth, or nothing at all. Not telling the complete truth about a sitiuation is like rewriting history. Although things may be hard to face or say, if you choose to tell history, you have to tell the complete facts and nothing but. Whats really painful to see, is the Indian children who are not fully educated about their past. Yes, the Indians who know about their past are angered by the textbooks, but atleast THEY know the real truth. Indians that don’t know the true story are the ones that suffer the most. They do not know there history, and if they did, they might have a completely different outlook on life. No indian should be ashamed, no matter what the textbooks say. If anything they should be angry. I don’t think that Rupert chose the word shame very wisely.
"There is no other country in the world where there is such a large gap between the sophisticated understanding of some professional historians and the basic education given by teachers." --Marc Ferro
I strongly disagree with Mr. Ferro. I believe there is absolutely no gap between the understanding of sophisticated professors and basic education by teachers. Some may not understand, but that's a personal choice not to pay attention. All people learning the history of our world understand the exact same things. Some of the more advanced professors may be able to point out similarities, differences, discrepancies, and correlations; however, history is the easiest subject to understand for the simple reasons that it repeats itself, and the essence of its struggles never changes. Anyone who learns about Columbus in 1492 also knows about every other conquerer who took land away from innocent people who rightfully owned it. The amount of facts pertaining to history are endless, and it's true, very few can even get close to knowing all of them. But, to know history is to know that each event is unique in its own special way, but similar to hundreds of other events, small and big. If by the word sophisticated (above) Mr. Ferro means "smart", he is mistaken. I truly believe that to understand history best of all, absolutely no facts are required. Understanding is but a choice one makes in their head to give in.
“What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [in American Indian slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil, and cruel among them.” --Bartolome De Las Cass
I am in complete agreement with Bartolome De Las Casas. When we see the deaths of innocent Indian lives on a piece of paper, it has meaning, but we never realize how much meaning there really is behind it all. When thinking about the way men dehumanized others for the sake of their own wealth and prosperity, I feel angry and sick. I simply cannot fathom what would compel someone to lose all sense of emotion, and kill for the sake of killing. It is one of the worst things that has ever happened after all these years, and there is absolutely no way to justify it.
“High school students hate history. When they list their favorite subjects, history invariably, comes in last. Students consider history the ‘most irrelevant’ of twenty-one subjects commonly taught in high school.”
The way students are taught history makes it the most hated. They are taught to memorize dates, names, and concepts completely irrelevant to them. Why should we care about the French Revolution, Stalin’s reign of terror, or how the English government was developed? Memorization comes hard to the high school student. Lectures as well cause problems for students where in their other classes they are experimenting or at least doing work. But it is the experiences a student can have in history that makes it deserve a top spot. A student can be touched by subjects such as minorities revolting or slavery being abolished. They can feel happiness when people earn more rights. If students engaged in these experiences, they could actually find themselves enjoying class.
“There is not one Indian in the whole of country who does not cringe in anguish and frustration because of these textbooks. There is not one Indian child who has not come home in shame and tears.”
From what we have learned so far, Indians have felt so much terror. They have been treated like animals and barbarians even though it is the Europeans who act barbarian in their relations with the Indians. Indians have endured violence, rape, and humiliation. They have experienced the most recent completed genocides and others that were almost complete. Tribes were destroyed and with it, cultures were reduced. The Europeans from those days deserve to suffer for what they did. Slavery is wrong in all ways and should have never been allowed in the past. I feel for these Native Americans, but in no way can I feel the sorrow a young Native American boy learning about his history. The happiness they can truly feel is the happiness that they are still alive today and that despite the cruelty they faced. They were able to get past the Europeans and still survive.
Kate Morrissey
My Opinion
“High School students hate history. When they list their favorite subjects, history is invariably comes in last. Students consider history the ‘most irrelevant’ of 21 subjects commonly taught in high school.”
I do not agree with this quote. First of all, of all subjects, history is probably the most important subject, and at the same time, the most interesting. To say that it is the ‘most irrelevant’ is very far off. High school students need to learn the history of the world, and especially the United States history. We needs to know how we ended up here, as well as everything that happened before us that was bad; if we know what bad events occurred, we can know how to prevent them, and if they do occur, then we know how to fix them already. For example, right now we are in a recession, where there is a possibility of a depression. But we have already had a depression, so we know how to prevent it, so the government is stepping in now, helping the economy to get much better.
“There is not one Indian in the whole of this country who does not cringe in anguish and frustration because of these textbooks. There is not one Indian child who has not come home in shame and tears.”
What the French, English, and Spanish did to the Indians was absolutely terrible, and now, the Indians are crushed when they read about their past, and are reminded about how terribly they were treated. I would totally feel the exact way if I was one of them, and treated like they were. I would also come home very upset if I was an Indian child, and read that my ancestors were treated terribly. I completely sympathize with those descendants who feel as if they have also been frowned upon and somewhat beat up emotionally. It’s not right, and it’s not fair.
Jenny Padilla
Period 6
Section One:
"We see things not as they are but as we are." Anais Nin
This quote is extremely true. As we have looked back at history, depending on the time and era, there are certain traditions and social rules that one is brought up to accept and believe in. As well as the time period , it also depends on what part of the world you live in. someone living in the middle east will have different views on women's issues than someone living in the United States, even today. Just as someone living in Virginia in the 16th century would have different views on freedom than someone living in Virginia today. as well as current issues, as we look back at the past, we see historical events in a different perspective than those who lived through them. For example, we may see the colonization of the Americas as a cruel and inhumane time period, because today we believe in equal rights for all humans, so matter who they are, but during the time, European society was one in which the white man was superior to all and others, especially the native people of North and South America, were uncivilized animals. Something that in today's world we may see as inhumane, the people of the 15th century could see as a part of everyday life.
Section 2:
"Considering that virtually none of the standard fare surrounding Thanksgiving contains an ouch of authenticity, historical accuracy, or cross-cultural perception, why is it so apparently ingrained? Is it necessary to the America psyche to perpetually exploit and debase its victims in order to justify its history?" Michael Dorris
I believe that Thanksgiving is so much a part of our culture because we want to believe that our country was built on teamwork and friendship. The idea of Thanksgiving is magnified so that our youth grows up believing our country is based off of kindness and integrity. Although the Pilgrims of Plymouth were indeed helped by Indians, there allies were Native Americans who had been kidnapped and taken to Europe, a detail usually left out of the generic Pilgrim Story. This one example of an alliance between Europeans and Indians is an exception, not the norm to which the story of the first Thanksgiving usually implies. Maybe by retelling this somewhat true story of one of the first colonies of New England, we give ourselves hope and confidence in what our country supposedly stands for and represents, all the while forgetting the other parts of our history. The parts that most people would not want to think about and believe truly shaped our country.
Bruno Paredes
Period 6
Quotes
The teaching of history
“High school students hate history. When they list their favorite subjects, history invariably comes in last. Students consider history the ‘most irrelevant’ of twenty-one subjects commonly taught in high schools.” - James Loewen
This quote proves right most of the time because of the fact that history includes much memorization and the length of this is of great magnitude. It is also the one with less hand-on projects that make every subject peculiar and interesting in the sense that teens tend to classify history as boring. And also the fact that history is changing and evolving adds to the tense situation of learning new facts and ideas. Although learning about the past is important, teens don’t think that it will affect them in any way possible, and as a result of that, history is the last thing on their minds when it comes to doing homework, etc. Also, students think that history and most of its memorization won’t help them in their future and the only reason they will do the assignments are because they want a good grade in the class.
Indians and History
“What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [in American Indian slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil and cruel among them.” – Bartolome De Las Casas
Las Casas’s idea is important because he is one of the few who opposed the harsh treatment of the Indians in his region. It was evil, unjust and cruel for the Europeans to treat them that way and dispose of their land as if it was theirs. It is true that the mixing of cultures is vital in any empire or colony, but to come to a foreign land and make slaves out of the people living there, that is just tyranny. I strongly agree with Las Casas but the truth is that many people of his era didn’t think the way he did. Their main conceptions in life were convert people, get gold, and land too, even if it meant to destroy entire civilizations or nearly abolish them. Maybe Las Casas was advanced for his time, or the ignorance of the Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries was high, but one thing is true, the coming of the old world to the new world meant the massacre and offense of many Indians, but also the discovery of new flourishing civilizations that would one day become the Americas.
Quotes
“High school students hate history. When they list their favorite subjects, history invariably comes in last. Students consider history the ‘most irrelevant’ of twenty-one subjects commonly taught in high school.” –James Loewen
Personally I can relate to this quote. If you would have asked me this question in my last 10 years of school, I would have also put history at the bottom. This year is different though. Every year Ive really just ignored history and never really done the homework. It’s always been my worst class and the class I least look forward to each day. For some reason, learning about US history is different. My mom always tells me how relevant and important history is but I have never really cared. I don’t agree that history is the least irrelevant, just the least interesting for kids to learn. Not many kids have an interest in what has happened before our own time, especially hundreds of years ago. US history is closer to our time, and it takes place in where we live now. We have more connections to this history and therefore make it more enjoyable and interesting for high school kids to learn.
“There is not one Indian in the whole of this country who does not cringe in anguish and frustration because of these textbooks. There is not one Indian child who has not come home in shame and tears.” –Rupert Costo
I think that this quote is much exaggerated. There is no way to tell what every single Indian thinks and/or feels about this past. Obviously there is some disgust in what the Indians feel about what the British did to them, but you cannot speak for everyone. What happened to the Indians was similar to the Holocaust. In both cases a certain group of people were looked down upon and massacred. To this day there are many Jews that survived and had relatives in the Holocaust. Reading about the Holocaust would not make every Jew cringe in anguish and frustration. Also I think that the children do not come home in shame and tears because they do not really understand the situation, so personally I think that this quote is completely false.
“American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” James Baldwin
Starting in kindergarten we have been taught the fake side of American History. Everything was happy, heroic, and Americans are always the good guys. Until now, that is what we all thought American history was about. We didn’t know about the killing sprees and the hatred of other races. We were unaware of the fact that we were the ones who pushed natives off their land, and killed and enslaved the people we stood up for what was right. Yes, I understand that our teachers and parents wanted to give us American pride and make us believe in the country that we are a part of, but must we lie to our children? I believe we should learn from past generations mistakes to make the future a better place.
“Considering that virtually none of the standard fare surrounding Thanksgiving contains an ounce of authenticity, historical accuracy, or cross-cultural perception, why is it so apparently ingrained? Is it necessary to the American psyche to perpetually exploit and debase its victims in order to justify its history?” Michael Dorris
Thanksgiving is a time when families gather around a giant table with yummy food to celebrate the first meal and harvest in America. But should we really be celebrating the enslavement and killing of thousands of Indians? We used to dress up as Indians and pilgrims for our middle schools thanksgiving festival, and celebrate the coming together of two cultures, which helped each other learn unique life skills that would shape their culture in the future. Parts of this fairy tale/hallmark holiday are true: Indians did teach Americans their farming and hunting techniques, but only because if was that or death. I am not saying that would should not honor this holiday, but we should definitely not celebrate the killing and enslavement of innocent people.
Maarten Lefor
Per. 6
9/20/08
Op-Ed
Quote 1: “Learning social studies is, to no small extent, whether in elementary school or the university, learning to be stupid.” Jules Henry
Response: Based on my the teaching that I have experienced and the way material has been presented to me thus far (let’s call this the day before 11th grade started. The short time in class this year, I will not count), I must agree. Material is simply thrown out into the open and the students are simply supposed to take it in and remember it. However, it has never been anything of interest or anything that can be used and applied to today. So far, it has just been remembering dates and facts and events. The real world is about applying what you know to whatever it is you’re doing, not simply spewing out facts and dates and such. I’d like to learn something that I can appreciate and use to my knowledge, not simply remember for one test and forget it the next day.
Quote 2: “There is not one Indian in the whole of this country who does not cringe in anguish and frustration because of these textbooks. There is not one Indian child who has not come home in shame and tears.” Rupert Costo
Response: The textbooks are really a bit messed up. They are so biased it’s insane! They way things are told usually, it makes the English settlers seem like heroes. Also, they make it out as if the Native Americans appreciated their coming (i.e. Thanksgiving). If we aren’t taught the truth now, imagine how it will affect us in later years; after a lifetime of accepting a myth, to hear that it’s just not true would be scary and unusual. Luckily, we attend a school like Harvard-Westlake and I’m lucky to be working with an honest, controversial textbook that is ok with crossing the limits and going outside borders. At some schools, some of the horrible crimes that the colonists committed towards Indians are not mentioned
"Learning social studies is, to no small extent, whether in elementary school or the university, learning to be stupid." -Jules Henry
What exactly Jules Henry's intent was in saying this, and how he expected to explain it, is beyond me. Learning social studies, at all levels, is a fundamental part of education. Not because it helps improve any of the main skills needed to get through school: awareness of what came before you will not improve your math or writing. It does, however, help us understand the workings of the world today. After all, the era in which we live now will be history one day too. In many ways, this knowledge and understanding will be far more valuable in the real world than solving a math problem or analyzing a piece of literature. What we learn from studying those that came before us will teach us what to expect now and in the future, and help us develop as people. We are affected by learning history, often in both good and bad ways, because it teaches us about the tendencies of the human race. This awareness shapes us as people: we often prosper from mimicking others' actions and learn from their mistakes. Who we are today is a result of who our ancestors were so many years ago.
US History Blog
Dr. Rockenbach period 6
Olivia Van Iderstine
“There is no other country in the world where there is such a large gap between the sophisticated understanding of some professional historians and the basic education given by teachers” –Marc Ferro
I learned history the way “you were supposed to”. Second grade: Thanksgiving. Third grade: I guess I forgot. Fourth was the California missions, fifth grade the colonies, and somewhere between sixth and seventh was a little more US and a little World. I learned that the Pilgrims came to America, may or may not have had a few hardships, met Squanto, ate turkey and called it a day. Cue: me standing in a Disney Pocahontas costume, saying that I was thankful for my grandma and my cats in front of my whole class.
I guess if I knew now what I knew then, I would thank the Pilgrims for giving me smallpox, killing my entire family (and later my entire village), and setting my wigwam on fire. It’s okay if you’re shocked though: I was too.
It’s clear that I go to a school for the intellectually gifted. And even if you debate that, there’s no denying that the high academic standards at Harvard-Westlake far surpass those of other educational establishments. I’m here to tell you that I was almost one-hundred percent surprised by our nation’s history. No, not the one I thought I knew. The one I learned just shy of 3 weeks ago.
I waited ten years (give or take) for a truth I didn’t even know I was waiting for- why? If the school system began teaching the “truth”, or at least a watered-down, 9-year old appropriate version of the truth, I wouldn’t be so shocked today. I’m not saying we shove gory details into the faces of elementary schoolers, but there can’t be such a disconnect between the truth and what’s taught.
Our country has done some pretty ugly, if not heinous things to get to where it is today. Why not tell it? We’re basically lying to ourselves anyway if we don’t. We’ll start it off slow, and then move in into the shameful details, but we’ll teach the truth. I remember my dad was reading a book called “Lies My Teacher Told Me”. I guess this is what it was talking about.
US History Blog
Dr. Rockenbach period 6
Olivia Van Iderstine
“There is no other country in the world where there is such a large gap between the sophisticated understanding of some professional historians and the basic education given by teachers” –Marc Ferro
I learned history the way “you were supposed to”. Second grade: Thanksgiving. Third grade: I guess I forgot. Fourth was the California missions, fifth grade the colonies, and somewhere between sixth and seventh was a little more US and a little World. I learned that the Pilgrims came to America, may or may not have had a few hardships, met Squanto, ate turkey and called it a day. Cue: me standing in a Disney Pocahontas costume, saying that I was thankful for my grandma and my cats in front of my whole class.
I guess if I knew now what I knew then, I would thank the Pilgrims for giving me smallpox, killing my entire family (and later my entire village), and setting my wigwam on fire. It’s okay if you’re shocked though: I was too.
It’s clear that I go to a school for the intellectually gifted. And even if you debate that, there’s no denying that the high academic standards at Harvard-Westlake far surpass those of other educational establishments. I’m here to tell you that I was almost one-hundred percent surprised by our nation’s history. No, not the one I thought I knew. The one I learned just shy of 3 weeks ago.
I waited ten years (give or take) for a truth I didn’t even know I was waiting for- why? If the school system began teaching the “truth”, or at least a watered-down, 9-year old appropriate version of the truth, I wouldn’t be so shocked today. I’m not saying we shove gory details into the faces of elementary schoolers, but there can’t be such a disconnect between the truth and what’s taught.
Our country has done some pretty ugly, if not heinous things to get to where it is today. Why not tell it? We’re basically lying to ourselves anyway if we don’t. We’ll start it off slow, and then move in into the shameful details, but we’ll teach the truth. I remember my dad was reading a book called “Lies My Teacher Told Me”. I guess this is what it was talking about.
Section One: The teaching of history
"High school students hate history. When they list their favorite subjects, history invariably comes in last. Students consider history the 'most irrelevant" of twenty-one subjects taught in high school." James Loewen
I actually really disagree with the points that this quote made. Yes, I'll admit, history is not my favorite subject in school. However, the reason it is not is because I have NEVER been good at it and it is really challenging for me...but I do enjoy learning about it and it is definetly not my least favorite subject...that title goes to SPANISH! History also happens to be my sister Jenna's FAVORITE course. In fact after dropping her least favorite class, science...which I and many many others would 1000000% deem 'most irrelevant' class because you should be able to choose if you want to learn about chemistry or biology or physics and not be force to take the class unless you want to follow a career path in science...she picked up an EXTRA history class.
Section Two: Indians and History
"What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [in American Indian slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil, and cruel among them." Bartolome De Las Casas
I highly agree with this quote. Killing and enslaving all those innocent Indians was disgusting and it makes me embarrassed to think about the fact that those were Americans as I am an American. I think about what "we" did to them and it makes me want to cry that we could have been so selfish and so greedy and so hungry for land and power and gold that we would be blind to the lives of those poor people and just monstrously slaughter and enslave them. What did they ever do but try to live their lives and live the way their ancestors before them lived? Who did we think we were to call that "barbaric" and call them "savages"? Who did we think we were to stomp on their lands that they made thrive and just take it? Who did we think we were killing women and children and men that never crossed our paths? I use the word "we" extremely loosly because it actually makes me sick to think that Americans did this. In this part of "our" history I want no part and if those Americans who treated the Indians that harshly thought that in the future they would go down in history as heroes and give our country pride...it makes me sick and fills me not only with ZERO pride but almost hate to those people who called themselves Americans.
Ian Kieffer
Rockenbach
9/21/08
Section ONE: “American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” – James Baldwin
I believe that this quote is true in every sense of the word. James Baldwin is right on point with his quote. However, if he is stating that because of these reasons that America is unique then I believe he is mistaken. If he thinks that only American history was long, large, various, beautiful, and terrible then he is wrong. Sure, America has a great story and there are a lot of other woven parts to it that, no matter how much we delve into classes and texts, we will never know. But doesn’t the building of almost every nation, especially ones as successful as the United States, have more details and nuances then we could ever learn in a history class? If there is anyone out there who thinks that the only thing going on during the time of the French Revolution in France was the French Revolution, then you are just a walking textbook. My point is that there are far too many things, whether they are beautiful, terrible, or both, that came into play when nations were growing that know one will ever truly know. So someone should change that quote to “World history”.
Section TWO: “What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [ in American Indian slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil, and cruel among them.”- Bartolome De Las Casas
There is no doubt that this quote is the only moral attitude that is appropriate towards the subject of what the Spanish did to the American Indians ( more countries than the Spanish as well). It was disgusting and disgraceful to subjugate humans as slaves and animals and to just wipe them out like cutting down plants in a jungle with a machete. Many countries flourished after planting their feet in the blood-stained ground in America. They stepped on the heads of humans to get power. They took out the hearts of humans to get power. There is nothing grand about the founding of America when it comes down to the fact that civilizations were wiped out. However, there is no end. No matter what we say now, in the future the same acts will happen and still are happening. It is human nature to ruin others in order to get what we want. In order for civilizations to rise, others must fall. So in the long scheme of things, the American Indians were just part of the bloody steps leading countries to elevation. And long into the future, maybe we will be the same for another civilization.
Jules Henry once said “Learning social studies is, to no small extent, whether in elementary school [or] the university, learning to be stupid.” He is partially correct, learning social studies in elementary school is stupid; however, at the high school and university he couldn’t be more wrong. Elementary school social studies is not useful because it is so hard to retain the teachings from that level. We do remember the overall view, but if they told us the main ideas every day and skipped the details we would learn the same amount as we would if they taught us everything. How much do you remember from elementary school social studies? High school and university social studies are much better because are memories have strengthened and it is easier to retain details at these ages. Where a university student would care more about Columbus’s treatment towards indians, elementary school students are to worried about recess and lunch time to truly care about him.
In an argument over American Indian slave treatment, Bartoleme De Las Casas said “What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [in American Indian slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil, and cruel among them.” I couldn’t agree more with him. I will agree that it is somewhat just to force prisoners of war into slavery, but under no circumstances should you force a group into slavery under unjust reasons. You wouldn’t enter someone’s home and force them to serve you, this is exactly what the Spanish did and they should never be justified or excused for this. And if putting indians into slavery wasn’t enough, the Spanish treatment toward the indians should be marked in history forever as one of the greatest evils a group has experienced. The indians are already in slavery, they do not need the physical abuse as an addition to it. The one good that came out of the spanish entrance of America was the hispanic race, but one good can not wipe away the infinite amount other evils the indians had to go through under the rule of the Spanish. This horrid treatment should never be forgotten by anyone, the Spanish people are in debt to the indians with a price unplayable by all the currencies of the world combined.
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