Do you believe that history, as it's been recorded and taught in the United States is accurate?

Question

Or does the axiom "History is Written by the Victor" speak volumes ?
http://devitoblog.blogspot.com/2006...

Please don't accuse me of hating America .. I don't. Democracy depends on free thought , try it sometime.

try this.. http://devitoblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/history-is-written-by-victor_07.html

Answer 1

There are many mistakes in History books, at every grade level.

* teacher

Answer 2

No,I don't think that history is taught completely accurately anywhere in the world. There is always some ethnocentricism. For example, I grew up in the American south. I learned that the civil war was started because Lincoln was mad that the south was becoming more economically powerful than the north and the only way to end the south taking over the country economically was to abolish slavery. I currently live in the American north. My northern friends learned that Lincoln started the civil war because he thought that slavery was morally wrong and no other reason. So, even within the US, there is a difference in what we learn about history depending on where you are from.

Answer 3

Well, I know very little of the American education system, but Hollywood rewrites history in your favour all the time. Victories that you had nothing to do with in WWII are routinely accredited to you by Hollywood, and I wouldn't be surprised if your schools were a bit biased as well.

I doubt, for instance, that you are taught about how George Washington, while a General in the British army, slaughtered a French encampment, while there was a truce between them. He also attacked the Hessians on Christmas night, while they'd assumed, what with it being the season of good will, they wouldn't be attacked. Not a very sporting man I'd say.

There are plenty of unpleasant bits of US history, many about your so called great men, and I'd be surprised if they were taught in schools.

Answer 4

Nah, I don't think it's accurate at all because of that statement. Because it's written by the victors, it has to be a little biased; there's no way around it. I think the only way to get a good, accurate recording of history is to ask a neutral party, like Switzerland.

Answer 5

History is always written to suite the needs of the power elite and as we have seen many times, re-written. You don't think that George Washington actually chopped down a cherry tree or that U.S soldiers in WWII didn't commit some atrocities?

Answer 6

Maybe, maybe not. But in this wonderful technological age in which we live we have the tools and capabilities to search for the truth instead of just digesting what is force fed to us. The one single fact about history is that it can't be changed. We can only learn from it so we don't repeat the mistakes of our past.

Answer 7

I try go find books on history that were printed closer to the time I am studying. They are more factual...time hasn't had a chance to muddy the facts.

Answer 8

Not accurate.....sometimes it seems you got to college to find out everything they taught you in history wasn't really what happened. For example, many in the US military believed if we had lost WWII we would have had serious war crime trials for our tactics and actions.......not too many people mention that.

Answer 9

dead link.