What is your perspective on American history?

Irwin

Irwin

Well-known Member
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
What do you think of when you think of American history? Do you look at it objectively or from a perspective based on your religion, ethnicity, or perhaps the country from which your ancestors immigrated? Or perhaps a little from column A and a little from column B?
 

My wife and I watched a video this evening about what was known as the Borscht Belt in the Catskills Mountains of New York — some 90 miles north of New York city. It was an area full of clubs, restaurants, hotels, and sporting facilities that catered to the Jews who drove up from the city to get away for a few days. Many comedians of the '50s through the '70s and into the '80s got their start in the Borscht Belt clubs.

Here's the video we watched. It's on Amazon Prime.

I remember going to, I'm not sure if they were resorts or just parks, but they looked similar to what is shown in the video. I remember swimming in small lakes way out in the woods. I grew up maybe 40 miles south of the Borscht Belt, closer to New York City.

The video presents a segment of American history that Jews can relate to in ways that non-Jews can't. A lot of us have that same kind of humor, perhaps even look similar to some of the people in it. And of course, we share a common heritage. It's heyday in the '70s wasn't that long after the Holocaust... only 25-35 years, and that's something that all Jews shared in one way or another — even if not directly. We all had parents or grandparents who had some connection to the unimaginable atrocities that had taken place.

So in American micro-history that focuses on one region as apposed to macro-history, which affected the entire country (I just made those terms up), a Jewish perspective is much different than that of non-Jews. There was also a lot of antisemetism back then, which affected the way non-Jews probably would have viewed the Borscht Belt. It would have been a completely different perspective.

I had some friends when I was a kid who were from England. Their father hung out in an Irish bar and we'd go to that bar and get served when we were only 16 because of the family atmosphere. A glass of tap beer was only a quarter. That was only a small part of my history, but was no doubt a large part of my British friends' history. They still hang out in pubs, although far away from the small town where we grew up.
 

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I'm English so can't answer the question personally. However, I'm curious to know just what children are taught in history lessons. Are they taught the history of modern America, starting when Columbus supposedly discovered it? As I stated on another thread, the population of America consists of people from various countries, so presumably schools don't teach much about the history of the other countries in the world.
British children are taught basically the history of Great Britain and the part it has played in the events concerning other countries.
The problem is that we are all still learning about the past, and so we can't be sure just how accurate our knowledge is.
 
American history was white washed. Seeing what @Lavinia wrote reminds me of a great example. How does one "discover" America when Native Americans already lived here? That's like me going to your home, abusing your family then kicking you and your family out after you've graciously fed me and saying "Look at this nice house I discovered." The contributions of African Americans was almost totally left out. I learned something about George Washington Carver and the peanut. All of his other accomplishments were omitted, as were those of other African Americans who had done great things. Howard Zinn's Wiki page "He wrote a history text, A People's History of the United States, to provide other perspectives on American history. The book depicts the struggles of Native Americans against European and U.S. conquest and expansion, slaves against slavery, unionists and other workers against capitalists, women against patriarchy, and African-Americans for civil rights. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1981.[28]"
Zinn also published a version of the book for younger readers. A friend of mine had read the adult version first and told me how astonished she was at it's contents. So much so she had to go back and read some parts again. She gave me a copy as a present.
 
Lavinia said:
How many Americans are aware that what they have been taught is not accurate? Just as Catholics have been taught that theirs is the one True Church, people are being fed a distorted view of the facts.
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I agree. There's a book titled The Mis-Education of the *****. There should be a follow up...The Mis-Education of the American People. I'm sure Americans are not the only ones, however, who were fed a bill of goods.
Hmmm...interesting update. The word I originally typed in is substituted with asterisks when I came back to read the post below mine. :unsure:
 
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The BBC ran a series of History's biggest fibs presented by the historian, Lucy Worsley. Along with British history, these included 3 programmes on American history. These covered the American Revolution, The Civil war and America's rise to 'superpower' status. Various clips are available on Youtube.

I recall some years ago going on a bus tour round Boston. It was very entertaining, but the historical bias was very obvious. It sounded like my mother - truth was what she wanted to believe, not necessarily what actually happened.
 
Irwin said:
My wife and I watched a video this evening about what was known as the Borscht Belt in the Catskills Mountains of New York —
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Thats were I grew up, My great grandparents had a commercial laundry service that did the linens for several of the area hotels. At 8 or so I allowed to help, Grandpa taught me math by weighing the bags, and figuring the charge. I can still smell the place...
Man alive what the EPA and welfare service would do today LOL..
 
I am going to tread on this subject lightly as I set my entire career on being a High School History teacher. I agree that the subject matter taught in schools there is a lot left out of the texts and many educators will just use that as an excuse to leave it be. In my classes however, I use the subject of History with my students whether I was teaching American, World, or US Government the opportunity for conversation and questions by the students. I as a teacher did not just sit up there and lecture straight from the book and right dates and facts on the board. I had dialog with my students. Many times we would go off on other things that were slight tangents of the original topic and I would never allow the subject matter to stray too far off, but I felt it gave a more comprehensive view of what History was/is.
 
I can say that I like the lectures of Yale Historian Joanne Freeman.

She is an Alexander Hamilton expert.

The Governor's mansion from colonial times, is here in town (in NJ). Alexander Hamilton spent a summer here. Other Colonial history too...the Battle of Connecticut Farms.
 
Signe The Survivor said:
I am going to tread on this subject lightly as I set my entire career on being a High School History teacher. I agree that the subject matter taught in schools there is a lot left out of the texts and many educators will just use that as an excuse to leave it be. In my classes however, I use the subject of History with my students whether I was teaching American, World, or US Government the opportunity for conversation and questions by the students. I as a teacher did not just sit up there and lecture straight from the book and right dates and facts on the board. I had dialog with my students. Many times we would go off on other things that were slight tangents of the original topic and I would never allow the subject matter to stray too far off, but I felt it gave a more comprehensive view of what History was/is.
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Sounds like you were one of the good ones. I agree, you can take a basic text and utilize it well, even if it is generic.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
American history was white washed. Seeing what @Lavinia wrote reminds me of a great example. How does one "discover" America when Native Americans already lived here? That's like me going to your home, abusing your family then kicking you and your family out after you've graciously fed me and saying "Look at this nice house I discovered." The contributions of African Americans was almost totally left out. I learned something about George Washington Carver and the peanut. All of his other accomplishments were omitted, as were those of other African Americans who had done great things. Howard Zinn's Wiki page "He wrote a history text, A People's History of the United States, to provide other perspectives on American history. The book depicts the struggles of Native Americans against European and U.S. conquest and expansion, slaves against slavery, unionists and other workers against capitalists, women against patriarchy, and African-Americans for civil rights. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1981.[28]"
Zinn also published a version of the book for younger readers. A friend of mine had read the adult version first and told me how astonished she was at it's contents. So much so she had to go back and read some parts again. She gave me a copy as a present.
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Good post! 👍
 
Irwin said:
What do you think of when you think of American history? Do you look at it objectively or from a perspective based on your religion, ethnicity, or perhaps the country from which your ancestors immigrated? Or perhaps a little from column A and a little from column B?
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My grandfather was a jewelry designer. Spent a lot of time traveling in Europe. Every day he would read a bunch of daily newspapers. He would read one from a liberal point of view, one from a conservative point of view and several in the middle. And then he would form his opinions.

I like that. I don't know that I am that intellectually honest with my reading of history...but I do strive for that. I don't often consciously try to see the opposite of my point of view. But I have, sometimes. And that always seems fruitful.

I think, in the human condition, no matter what our background and inherent prejudices that background might produce, I think we all share a longing for the same basic things. Peace, freedom, kindness.

I think folks sometimes take opposite ways of achieving those things, but underlying it all...I think we are all seeking the same things.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Hmmm...interesting update. The word I originally typed in is substituted with asterisks when I came back to read the post below mine. :unsure:
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Some words are banned from use and show up as asterisks. It's not that all the words are intended to be bad, like the F-bomb, but some have been used here in discussions in a very offensive and negative way to demean certain groups or individuals. To be considerate and respectful of all members, they show in that way.
 
Signe The Survivor said:
I appreciate that. Everyday my goal was to help the students learn something new in a fun and enjoyable way.
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Oh, I am sure you achieved that. Maybe not in every student, but I bet, in many.

My wife works for a major university. I have seen some of the struggles of some of the professors and also some wonderful moments with students.

I remember being at a Christmas party and seeing these students surrounding a professor with such interest and love of learning.

Was simply wonderful to see!
 
I believe that we all should be taught the unbiased truth.

The problem becomes who's truth.

My version of American history was taught to me by my grandparents, parents, and the public school system. Each had its own agenda and unique version of the truth.

"History is written, by the victors." - Winston Churchill
 
Unfortunately history belongs to the victors, and victors are always the 'good' guys. I think there's enough real history in "history" to give an inkling of the truth. Myths are just as vital to a nation as the truth. I'm a Civil War nut. If you read the accounts of the regiments, they were in three different places on the battlefield at the same time, and the outcome of the war rested on what they did. History is what people remember, and people's memories are not infallible. Biases, egos, and agendas are factors in history as well as the facts.
 
JonSR77 said:
Oh, I am sure you achieved that. Maybe not in every student, but I bet, in many.

My wife works for a major university. I have seen some of the struggles of some of the professors and also some wonderful moments with students.

I remember being at a Christmas party and seeing these students surrounding a professor with such interest and love of learning.

Was simply wonderful to see!
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That is what you want to see as a teacher. Students wanting to learn and having interest in learning.
 
American history has definitely been whitewashed and more a apropos term couldn't be used - our history has literally been washed by Whites. Various states and school districts are busily slapping on additional coats right now. I despair at the blinders being forced on future generations. No good came come from this.

Wonder how other countries describe/justify their acts of colonialism, aggression and interference in other countries' rights of self-determination. US schools gloss right over those aspects of our history.

I agree, @OneEyedDiva, Howard Zinn's book was eye-opening in a most distressing way.
 
Errands, got to run.

Hope everyone here has a nice day.

maybe get back online later if I can...
 

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