When I was 17 (which was like last year) I went to Boston as an exchange student and took my first US History class ever.
Before I left Massachusetts, I remember chatting with other international student who wasn’t in my class but who was also taking US History. We were going over the things we learned and came up with this list (that I took the liberty of expanding and adding detail) of the general things a non-american learn from US History class (disclaimer: of course this is entirely based on the classes we had and doesn’t necessarily apply to all international students!)
1. Everybody Loves Andrew Jackson
Ok now this impressed me. First, the teacher says that this guy became famous for being an indian killer, that he undermined the supreme court and acted a bit like a dictator at times and finally that he was responsible for uncountable deaths and indistinguishable sorrow that came with the trail of tears. Is it crazy to think that he was horrible? Apparently yes. Both my colleague and I were impressed by the fact that we spent weeks talking about him in class, and although the American students frequently shared critical opinions about their on history, no one said a thing. When I referred to him as “indian killer” I remember the look of shock people give me as if saying “did she really say that?”. Growing up in Brazil, I learned at a young age that criticizing my own history isn't lack of patriotism but it’s a way of progressing without repeating mistakes. My Americans classmates were perhaps taught to avoid criticizing a president (even a dead one) while I wasn’t.
2. Massachusetts is the bomb.com
It is true that I was in Boston when I learned US History so I’m assuming #2 wouldn't exist had I learned it elsewhere. According to my class, pretty much everyone who mattered at the beginning of this country’s history were born in Mass: John Adams, Samuel Adams, Emerson, Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Graham Bell, Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe. I could swear that the only people I learned about while studying early American history that weren’t from Massachusetts were George Washington and the Virginia Dynasty.
3. The south sucks at everything but fried food
The south is still seeking for revenge for losing the war, the south “remembers”, the south is the only place were black people are mistreated, the only thing that is better in the south than in the north is fried food - this old ideology full of prejudice and decadent on evidence was very passively supported in my history class by the lack of lessons on the south as it really is today. This is not, by all means, to deny all the atrocities faced by black people in the South, but rather, it is to evaluate the progress. When I learned US History, I was taught about the past and present of the north while the south seemed to be ignored post Civil Rights Movement as if saying that it is still the same place it was decades ago.
4. The Manifest Destiny wasn’t a successful brainwash that lead to the American feeling of superiority but rather it was just one of many historical events that weren't THAT significant.
No comments.
5. Nothing about American interventionism in Latin America
American intervention (and how it sponsored a series of dictatorships and violence acts fearing Latin America would become communist) IS SIMPLY NOT TAUGHT. No wonder so many people think the Manifest Destiny is dead! With the exception of the Vietnam War, all other military action by the US is frequently seeing and portrait as heroic, explaining part of this country’s fascination with war and conflict. In the US, Americans are always heroes; whereas in other countries, character comes before nationality and judgment is based on actions not flags.
After taking this class, I had the great opportunity of taking other US History classes that proved that this list (fortunately) doesn't apply to all. However, I believe that the points here addressed are important to be taken into consideration, hence, depending on which topic, one poorly taught class may be way too many.
