In Passionate Declarations Analysis

In Howard’s book, In Passionate Declarations: essay on war and justice, the chapter “The Use and Abuse of History” Howard clarifies that history gravitates towards partial explanations of encounters. Howard explains that it is crucial to analyze both known and hidden facts about historical accounts because it only demonstrates a microscopic fragment of an event. Because of the bias of an author, details are often omitted. Howard recounts an experience during his college years; he heard a song called “The Ludlow Massacre”. Ludlow massacre reveals the massacre of woman and children who were burned to death for striking against a Rockefeller owned coal mines in Colorado, 1914. Howard never encountered the Ludlow Massacre in any of his American
History classes nor the textbooks. Howard demonstrated that the Ludlow Massacre was is not typical event that is taught in the majority of high-school textbooks. Howard also demonstrates a common bias towards an historical figure, Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus appears to be a hero who displays courage for leading the discovery of the Americas. However, Howard states that it is omitted in every level of education that Christopher, in his greed for gold, was responsible for the genocide and enslavement of the Native Americans. Howard claims that this information was available to all historians. Howard’s purpose is to get individuals to think twice about the information they are receiving, to examine multiple accounts before coming to conclusions.