Woodrow Wilson and American History
Dedicated to all American history teachers who teach against their textbooks
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Something Has Gone Very Wrong
1 • Handicapped by History; The Process of Hero-making 9
2 * 1493: The True Importance of Christopher Columbus 29
3 • The Truth about the First Thanksgiving 67
4 • Red Eyes 91
5 • "Gone with the Wind":
The Invisibility of Racism in American History Textbooks 131
6 • John Brown and Abraham Lincoln:
The Invisibility of Anti-racism in American History Textbooks 165
7 • The Land of Opportunity 195
8 • Watching Big Brother:
What Textbooks Teach about the Federal Government 209
9 • Down the Memory Hole: The Disappearance of the Recent Past 2 33
10 • Progress Is Our Most Important Product 249
11 * Why Is History Taught Like This? 2 65
12 • What Is the Result of Teaching History Like This? 293
Afterword: The Future Lies Ahead—and What to Do about Them 307
Notes 313
Appendix 365
Index 366
VII
Acknowledgments
The people listed below, in alphabetical order, talked with me, commented on chapters, suggested sources, corrected my mistakes, or provided other moral or material aid. I thank them very much. They are: Ken Ames, Charles Arnaude,
Stephen Aron, Jose Barreiro, Carol Berkin, Sanford Berman, Robert Bieder, Bill
Bigelow, Michael Blakey, James Baker, Linda Brew, Tim Brookes, Josh Brown,
Lonnie Bunch, Vernon Burton, Claire Cuddy, Richard N. Current, Pete Daniel,
Kevin Dann, Martha Day, Margo Del Vecchio, Susan Dixon, Ariel Dorfman,
Mary Dyer, Shirley Engel, Bill Evans, John Fadden, Patrick Ferguson, Paul
Finkelman, Frances FitzGerald, William Fitzhugh, John Franklin, Michael Frisch,
Mel Gabler, James Gardiner, John Garraty, Elise Guyette, Mary E. Haas, Patrick
Hagopian, William Haviland, Gordon Henderson, Richard Hill, Mark Hilgendorf, Mark Hirsch, Dean Hoge, Jo Hoge, Jeanne Houck, Frederick Hoxie, David
Hutchinson, Carolyn Jackson, Clifton H. Johnson, Elizabeth Judge, Stuart
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Something Has Gone Very Wrong
1 • Handicapped by History; The Process of Hero-making 9
2 * 1493: The True Importance of Christopher Columbus 29
3 • The Truth about the First Thanksgiving 67
4 • Red Eyes 91
5 • "Gone with the Wind":
The Invisibility of Racism in American History Textbooks 131
6 • John Brown and Abraham Lincoln:
The Invisibility of Anti-racism in American History Textbooks 165
7 • The Land of Opportunity 195
8 • Watching Big Brother:
What Textbooks Teach about the Federal Government 209
9 • Down the Memory Hole: The Disappearance of the Recent Past 2 33
10 • Progress Is Our Most Important Product 249
11 * Why Is History Taught Like This? 2 65
12 • What Is the Result of Teaching History Like This? 293
Afterword: The Future Lies Ahead—and What to Do about Them 307
Notes 313
Appendix 365
Index 366
VII
Acknowledgments
The people listed below, in alphabetical order, talked with me, commented on chapters, suggested sources, corrected my mistakes, or provided other moral or material aid. I thank them very much. They are: Ken Ames, Charles Arnaude,
Stephen Aron, Jose Barreiro, Carol Berkin, Sanford Berman, Robert Bieder, Bill
Bigelow, Michael Blakey, James Baker, Linda Brew, Tim Brookes, Josh Brown,
Lonnie Bunch, Vernon Burton, Claire Cuddy, Richard N. Current, Pete Daniel,
Kevin Dann, Martha Day, Margo Del Vecchio, Susan Dixon, Ariel Dorfman,
Mary Dyer, Shirley Engel, Bill Evans, John Fadden, Patrick Ferguson, Paul
Finkelman, Frances FitzGerald, William Fitzhugh, John Franklin, Michael Frisch,
Mel Gabler, James Gardiner, John Garraty, Elise Guyette, Mary E. Haas, Patrick
Hagopian, William Haviland, Gordon Henderson, Richard Hill, Mark Hilgendorf, Mark Hirsch, Dean Hoge, Jo Hoge, Jeanne Houck, Frederick Hoxie, David
Hutchinson, Carolyn Jackson, Clifton H. Johnson, Elizabeth Judge, Stuart