Houston Community College System Human History Question

Use only the assigned sources.

Do not use additional library or internet
sources.

900 words

Your generalizations must be supported by direct citations from the sources

“ONE IS ASTONISHED IN THE STUDY OF HISTORY AT THE RECURRENCE OF THE IDEA THAT
EVIL MUST BE FORGOTTEN, DISTORTED, SKIMMED OVER. WE MUST NOT REMEMBER THAT
DANIEL WEBSTER GOT DRUNK BUT ONLY REMEMBER THAT HE WAS A SPLENDID
CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER. WE MUST FORGET THAT GEORGE WAHINGTON WAS A SLAVE
OWNER…AND SIMPLY REMEMBER THE THINGS WE REGARD AS CREDITABLE AND INSPIRING.
THE DIFFICULTY, OF COURSE, WITH THIS PHILOSOPHY IS THAT HISTORY LOSES ITS VALUE AS
AN INCENTIVE AND EXAMPLE; IT PAINTS PERFECT MEN AND NOBLE NATIONS, BUT IT DOES
NOT TELL THE TRUTH.”

~W.E.B. DUBOIS (B L ACK R ECON ST RUCT ION )

What is history? Why should we study history? Within the context of our stories
concerning Christopher Columbus, Native Americans, the Pilgrims, or slavery,
discuss how historians (Zinn and Loewen) have dealt with the above issues
specifically. How have history textbooks begun to complicate our histories even
further? With regard to the above topics, how have your readings and studies in
this class differed from the ways in which these topics have been portrayed (all the
way back to elementary school) to you in previous classes? In the quote above,
W.E.B. DuBois suggests that in our studies of history, when we skim over the bad
parts, our histories begin to lose their value as “incentive and example.” What
does he mean by this? What are the far-reaching consequences of the ways in
which so many of us have been taught history?

(the betrayal of history) https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.learn….

http://libcom.org/a-peoples-history-of-the-united-…

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/magazine/14texb…

http://libcom.org/a-peoples-history-of-the-united-…

http://libcom.org/a-peoples-history-of-the-united-…