Which pleasant bits of history good for my young nephews and nieces?

Question

That they can learn that are inspiring, morals-boosting,etc and would not enable them to harbour depressing doubts about certain countries or mankind? Certainly not stories of extreme cruelty or gory scenes like slave captures/ treatment, the Holocaust, war crimes such as cutting off of captured enemies' genitals or random beheadings/executions during wars, etc

Answer 1

You could, for the time being, focus on the lighter aspects of history.

For example, Chaucer was a sharp observer of human beings, and his word portraits of the different social classes of medieval England can help you talk to them about how people lived, dressed, and amused themselves at that time.

The same can be said for books about the day to day lives of people in different places and time periods--you can emphasize things like how children of their age might be doing this or that kind of chores at home, how they were educated, and that kind of thing (trust me, kids are always interested in what their counterparts in ancient Egypt, in China through the ages, in medieval Europe or colonial America were doing!).

Another source is biographies of famous people. You don't need to go into the less savory aspects; just mention their accomplishments as explorers, inventors, or leaders.

One of my personal favorite historical characters is Francis of Assisi--no matter what your religious background, most kids would like to hear about a man who was light years ahead of his time in the way he regarded animals and just how little one really needs to survive--if he were alive today, he'd probably agree wholeheartedly with he concept of "Live simply, that others may simply live."

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

~Well now, if you are looking for history without the gruesome facts, why not go with the world according to George Bush? On the other hand, if you want your children to be rational, thinking, intelligent adults, why not let them learn that the story of Man is filled with greed, lust, barbarism and savagery? That, after all, is what we are and the road we followed to get to where we have become. You can hide the nasty details under the pillow, but in the end, doesn't that just make it so much easier to repeat. After all, the Holocaust (and the genocide of all the others that have been forgotten since the Jews decided to take a monopoly on the Nazi racial purification program) were simply a repeat of what the US Bureau of Indian Affairs did to the American Indians and what has been done countless times before and since. The best way to insure that history will repeat is to ignore it or sugarcoat it. Were that not the case, Georgie Bush would never have gotten such massive (but ignorant and uninformed) support for his illegal, immoral and unjustified invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. There is inspiring history out there, but most of the inspirational comes from the few who have the guts to stand up to the tyrants and demagogues. Without the real story of Man, the inspirational quirks wouldn't happen and wouldn't be relevant. If you want only good news, read Pollyanna, not the newspapers or history books. And. if that is the course you choose, don't bytch about the evils that your closed mind and blind eyes helps bring about. The 60s are dead (more's the pity) but one can still take a lesson from the most aware and involved generation that this country has even spawned. Don't hide under a leaf. Look at where we've been, where we are and where we are headed, get off your butt and try to do something about it. Teaching the young only the "good" is how tyrants and despots obtain and maintain their power. Why do you want to help them?

Answer 3

Um, well, how about the history of fashion? That might be good for a laugh. There was some random sea battle in France that inspired ladies to wear their hair in the shape of the ocean wave -- with a ship and blue ribbons on top! Or that men had to wear wigs once upon a time.

Georgette Heyer's romance novels have tons of accurate historical details about clothing. Wearing a velvet patch on your face to simulate moles always gives me a giggle!

The history of the pyramids are also quite good. There are several children's books out there. Skip over the slavery, hard labor, and dead pharoahs, and you've got an inspiring story there.

Oh, the shenanigans of the 1920s would be fun, too. OK, they were blowing off steam from the war, but they had those gold-fish swallowing contests, and sitting-on-a-pole contests, and lots of strange stuff. Cheaper by the Dozen is a fascinating account of a family in the early 1900s -- not a usual family, but very funny and inspiring. It'll make you think, too, that perhaps families don't really change all that much.

Some Bible stories are good, too, but vet them before you use them! Any mytholology may be a good source of stories, but again, vet them first!

In any age, there are tragedies, but there are also people who are living normal lives and having fun. Look for those stories, and you are sure to inspire a love for history in your young relatives!

Answer 4

Greetings! One very inspiring feat of history was the space race of the 1960's. The space era has created all kinds of things we take for granted (for starters, if you are reading this message, you can thank the space program). Yes, people did die, but they did so for a great cause. The technicians and astronauts did a tremendous amount for science, medicine and communication technology. That's a good start. Take care.

Answer 5

The age of Exploration is free of gore. It will also highlight the idea of nurturing a questing mind.

You could focus on inventions or discoveries also.