Excerpts from American-history textbooks from the 19th, 20th and
21st centuries trace the ways that history has been written and
rewritten over time.Insofar as they can be known, the facts of
history remain constant, but each generation interprets for itself
the meaning of the past, emphasizing or obscuring characters,
issues and episodes to reflect the latest twitch in the
sociological/political zeitgeist. Ward (History/Vincennes Univ.)
here provides excerpts from a range of history textbooks,
addressing topics like the American Revolution, Native-American
relations, slavery and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (In a
chapter titled "Slavery in America," for example, the author
excerpts passages from nine textbooks published from 1851 to 1995.)
For the most part, he deals with well-known events (the Boston
Massacre, the last stand at the Alamo) and characters (Washington,
Lincoln). Other subjects-the Caroline Affair, the Battle of
Horseshoe Bend, the Espionage Act-will be only dimly recalled by
most. The excerpted materials are preceded by some rather thin
analysis. Readers in search of a richer perspective on the subject
would do better while Peter Charles Hoffer's Past Imperfect (2004).
Still, the primary sources Ward provides are a good starting point
for anyone interested in history and subjectivity.A handy, often
diverting collection. (Kirkus Reviews)
Kyle Ward offers a groundbreaking longitudinal study of U.S.
history books, revealing the ways in which their accounts of
seminal events & vital issues has changed over the years.
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