{"id":2094306,"date":"2023-11-08T17:12:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T22:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-report-uncovers-the-sad-state-of-history-classes-at-american-universities\/"},"modified":"2023-11-08T17:20:39","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T22:20:39","slug":"new-report-uncovers-the-sad-state-of-history-classes-at-american-universities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-report-uncovers-the-sad-state-of-history-classes-at-american-universities\/","title":{"rendered":"New Report Uncovers The Sad State Of History Classes At American Universities"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-report-uncovers-the-sad-state-of-history-classes-at-american-universities%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2094306&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Teaching of U.S. History: A Distorted Narrative<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The\u2064 teaching of\u2063 U.S. history in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elite-san-francisco-school-nixes-merit-based-admission\/\" title=\"Elite San Francisco School Nixes Merit-Based Admission\">public high schools<\/a> has received much\u200d attention\u200c in recent years. But what about the teaching \u2064of U.S. history at our colleges and universities? <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>A\u2062 Newly Released Commission Report<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cai.asu.edu\/americanhistory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">newly\u200c released commission report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  from the \u2062Center \u2063for American Institutions at Arizona State\u200d University presents \u200ca bleak picture. The imbalanced design of \u200cmany\u2062 introductory U.S. history courses guides impressionable students \u2063toward the conclusion that\u200b America is a failed experiment, leaving many\u2062 college students \u2063with a starkly negative, narrow, and \u200bincomplete\u200c view of our country\u2019s character and past.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Introductory\u2062 courses in U.S. history \u2013 \u2063typically \u200btaught in two \u2063sections, \u2062the first half to 1877, and the second half since 1877 \u2013 play an outsized role in our university systems and have downstream effects on K-12 education. Many institutions require that non-history majors, as well as future\u2062 K-12 teachers, \u2064enroll in the\u200d U.S. survey to fulfill General Education requirements. The requirement\u2063 is perfectly understandable. To become informed citizens in our \u2063constitutional, democratic republic,\u200b graduates ought \u2063to have a well-rounded, basic knowledge of the history of\u2064 our country. For\u2064 some students, especially \u200bforeign\u200b nationals, the U.S. survey will be their \u2063first and\u200c last exposure to a comprehensive history of \u2064the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>The Concerning\u2063 Findings<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These facts make the <a href=\"https:\/\/cai.asu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for American Institutions<\/a> commission <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">all the more \u200bconcerning. The commission on the Teaching of American\u2064 History included former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, former Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Academic \u2064researchers for the\u200d commission\u200d examined syllabi for introductory U.S. history courses at the nation\u2019s top-ranked colleges and universities. The research revealed that \u200bfoundational topics and themes in U.S. history are frequently absent. Many of\u2063 the courses were taught through a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.historians.org\/research-and-publications\/perspectives-on-history\/september-2022\/is-history-history-identity-politics-and-teleologies-of-the-present\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">presentist perspective<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, examining \u2064and interpreting history through the lens of contemporary\u200d politics, issues,\u2064 and concerns. Absent from many of these courses were\u2063 complexity, nuance, \u200cdebate, and global\u2064 context. Instead, many of the courses elevated an overly simplistic assessment \u200cof the\u200b past, devoid\u200d of much of the richness\u200c and complexity that characterized each \u2064historical period. It \u2062would be \u200bwrong and misguided if this were pursued in order to paint a false and extravagantly rosy picture of United States\u2063 history. But in\u200b this case, \u200bit paints a false and extravagantly <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">negative <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">picture\u2064 of United States history.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first half of the U.S. survey, \u200cto 1877, \u2062covers the colonial\u2063 period through the Civil War and Reconstruction. One syllabus for the first half of the\u200b survey announced that\u2062 upon completion of the course, students will \u201cgrasp how inequality was woven into the nation\u2019s\u200d very\u2063 constitutions.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another announced\u2064 that upon completion\u2062 of the course, students will \u201csee how race and racism is \u200dsnarled \u200bin every part of U.S. history.\u201d Another course at a\u200c prestigious state university devoted the first three\u2064 weeks of the \u200bU.S. survey to \u200c\u201cecological\u2063 imperialism\u201d and \u200b\u201ccultural imperialism.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWe \u2062will spend considerable\u200c time learning\u2062 about major themes that trouble the present-day,\u201d\u2062 an\u2062 instructor at\u2062 the university \u200bannounced\u2064 in the syllabus, \u201cincluding the expropriation of Native American \u200clands; the entwined\u200b histories of race, slavery, and freedom; the \u200dcreation and \u2063recreation \u200dof gendered \u2062economic, political, \u200dsocial relations; and the rise \u2062of \u2063capitalism.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The second \u200dhalf of the\u2062 survey, U.S. history \u2063since 1877, is by\u200c far the more ideological and biased of the two. Many of the syllabi examined for \u200dthis study were nakedly political. Most\u2062 syllabi <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">intensively <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">focused on identity\u2064 topics of race, gender, sexuality, queer theory, and militant social protest. The\u200b predominant takeaway for students in many of these classes was American history as a history of exclusion,\u200b chiefly \u2063organized around identity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Neglected topics included basic \u200dpolitical history, including\u200b various presidential \u2062administrations, pivotal elections, and party development. Legal history\u200d was \u2063generally \u200bexcluded, as was military history and diplomatic history.\u200c Conservatism, of course, was\u2064 almost universally framed \u200cin a negative context. Primary\u200d readings from conservative\u2063 thinkers were rarely assigned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absent, also, was any indication that \u2064the United States\u2063 had made\u2062 real and significant progress\u200c on civil\u200b rights and race relations in the 20th century. \u200bMoreover, there was rarely any indication \u2063that the average standard of living, for all people,\u200b increased substantially across the\u200b twentieth century (better housing, health, education, and technology); instead, students were often fed\u200d an anti-market, \u200banti-consumerist narrative about the corrupting effects of capitalism. Social, economic, and technological advancements received virtually no\u2063 mention;\u200c instead,\u200c post-World War II\u200c America was \u200boften portrayed as a period \u2013 not of prosperity \u2062and \u200bexpanding freedom \u2013 \u2063but of greed, \u200ddecline,\u200d sexism, homophobia, and racism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many courses ended the semester on a sour note: the \u201cDecline\u200b of America\u201d and \u200bthe \u201cEnd of the American Empire\u201d were common themes in course syllabi.\u200c Students exiting such a\u2064 course would naturally conclude that the\u2064 American experiment had failed, that it was never successful, and \u200dthat drastic, revolutionary \u200dactivism \u200bin the present time might therefore be warranted. Appropriately, the supplemental readings in many of\u2062 these courses often championed \u200dpolitical and social justice activism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One syllabus, for example, announced that students will learn about\u200d the \u2062\u201cdiversity of American experiences with specific emphasis on\u200b race, ethnicity, class, gender, \u200band sexual orientation.\u201d The final weeks \u2062of \u200cthe course included the following topics: \u201cWomen\u2019s Lib and Second Wave\u200b Feminism,\u201d \u201cNative Americans and Red Power,\u201d \u201cGay Liberation \u2064and LGBTQ Activism,\u201d \u201cChicano\u200b Activism and Latino Movements,\u201d \u201cEnvironmentalism \u2063and\u2063 Green Movements,\u201d \u201cThe Triumph of the Right,\u201d and \u201cFrom Witch-hunts and Communist-hunts to\u200b Terrorist-hunts.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another syllabus\u200d at a separate university \u200ddevoted an entire\u200d week to, \u2062\u201cFinal Frontiers: The Cultural\u2062 War, LGBTQ Rights, and the Fight against Ablelism.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Besides sacrificing truth\u2062 for\u200c fiction, the\u2062 extraordinary \u2063bias\u2062 of our introductory U.S. history courses contributes to the erosion \u200dof our civic culture. It\u2063 undermines the \u200dnoble effort to create a common, shared vision for America\u2019s future. It distorts our shared past, exacerbates divisions within\u2062 our society, and discourages\u200b a\u200d fuller understanding of the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">entirety<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  of U.S. history.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Proposed Solutions<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So what do we do? The report\u200c includes several noteworthy suggestions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First, state legislatures should require educational transparency. Academic units at \u2062all public universities should be required to \u2063make syllabi publicly \u2063available and accessible so that we \u200bknow what our \u200btax dollars are being used to teach. Most\u2063 syllabi, at most universities, are not available to\u2064 the public.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But also we desperately \u2064need intellectual diversity. One <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/econjwatch.org\/File+download\/944\/LangbertQuainKleinSept2016.pdf?mimetype=pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">recent\u200c study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  \u2064of the nation\u2019s top\u200c 40 colleges and universities, for example, \u200cfound that among History\u200d faculty, there are 33.5 Democrats for every single Republican. That is obviously\u2064 unacceptable and flagrantly unrepresentative of the \u2062public and student body. Upper administrations and deans \u2062should insist on faculty searches that are not so narrowly tailored \u2062that they rule out candidates who are not ideologically aligned with the orthodox political persuasion.\u200c Certainly, at\u200b a minimum, DEI\u200d statements should be immediately abolished as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pelosi-producing-oppo-research-for-liz-cheney-adam-kinzinger-to-attack-republican-leaders-gop-source\/\" title=\"Pelosi Producing Oppo Research For Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger To Attack Republican Leaders: GOP Source\">ideological litmus tests<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally,\u2062 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-report-uncovers-the-sad-state-of-history-classes-at-american-universities\/\" title=\"New Report Uncovers The Sad State Of History Classes At American Universities\">multi-disciplinary approach \u200b\u2013 including interdisciplinary degree \u2062programs<\/a> \u200bwith more \u2062expansive curricula \u2013 could encourage dialogue across the disciplines and potentially foster greater intellectual diversity \u200damong the faculty.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The United States of America is a great experiment in freedom, constitutional \u200bgovernment, and well-ordered liberty. \u2062But the experiment is fragile. To preserve and maintain it \u2013 to secure\u2063 the blessings of liberty to ourselves \u2064and our posterity \u2013 we must have robust, vibrant American\u200c institutions,\u200b including institutions\u200c of\u200b higher education. Let\u2019s reform the teaching of U.S. history at our \u2063colleges and universities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cai.asu.edu\/people\">Jonathan Barth<\/a> is Associate Professor of History \u2064at Arizona \u200dState University. He\u2064 specializes in\u200d the history of money and banking, in the early modern\u2063 period, \u2063with corollary interests in politics, empire, culture, and ideas.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are \u2062those of the author\u200c and do \u200dnot necessarily represent those of The\u200c Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does teaching U.S. history from a presentist perspective \u200bundermine the objectivity of historical \u200banalysis?<\/h2>\n<p><span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These examples\u200d\u2062 highlight the\u200d focus on\u200d negative\u200d aspects\u200d of U.S. history, \u2064painting a picture \u200bof \u2063a\u200b deeply flawed \u200cand unjust nation.\u200d While it is important to acknowledge and address the darker chapters of our history, the excessive emphasis on these themes neglects the many positive aspects and achievements of the United States. It fails \u200cto\u200c provide students with\u200c a well-rounded understanding\u2062 of our country&#8217;s complex history and the progress we\u200d have made as a nation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Furthermore, \u2064the\u200d teaching of \u2064U.S. history from a presentist perspective introduces\u2062 a dangerous bias that undermines the objectivity of historical\u200b analysis. \u2064History should be examined and interpreted in its own context, considering the social,\u2062 political, and cultural factors of the time. By imposing contemporary \u200bviewpoints and\u200b judgments on\u2063 past \u200cevents, students are deprived of the\u2063 opportunity\u2063 to develop critical\u200c thinking\u2064 skills \u200band understand the complexities of historical events and\u200d decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>The Way Forward<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To ensure a more balanced and comprehensive teaching of U.S.\u200b history, several steps can\u200b be taken. First, universities and colleges should \u2062review and update their\u2063 U.S. history curricula to include a wider\u2064 range of \u2063topics\u200d and perspectives. This should\u2063 include not only the struggles and injustices\u2063 but\u2062 also the triumphs, innovations, and contributions that have shaped our nation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Second, educators should strive to \u200cpresent history\u200b in its proper context, providing students with the\u200d necessary tools\u200c to understand historical\u200d events from\u2063 the perspectives \u2064of the time.\u200b This requires \u2064a commitment to teaching complexity, nuance, and debate, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-seeks-to-meld-american-law-with-crt-and-social-justice\/\" title=\"Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Seeks to \u201cMeld\u201d American Law With CRT and Social Justice\">fostering critical thinking<\/a> \u200band a deeper understanding of historical narratives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Moreover, it is crucial to \u200dprioritize the inclusion of global \u200ccontext in the \u200dteaching of\u2063 U.S. history. The\u200d United States does not exist in isolation, but rather, \u200cit has been influenced and shaped by\u200d global events and interactions. By incorporating a\u200d global perspective, students can gain a broader\u2062 understanding\u2063 of the United States&#8217; role in the world \u200cand its \u2062connections to other societies \u2064and cultures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lastly, it is essential to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-rogans-vaccine-debate-offer-climbs-to-1-5-million-pot\/\" title=\"Joe Rogan now offers a .5 million prize for vaccine debate.\">promote open discussion<\/a> and\u2064 intellectual diversity in the classroom. Encouraging students to explore different interpretations and engage in thoughtful debates fosters a deeper understanding of history and cultivates the skills necessary for active citizenship.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>The Importance of a Balanced Approach<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The teaching of U.S. \u200chistory plays a vital role\u200d in\u2064 shaping the next generation of informed citizens. \u200cIt is imperative\u2063 that\u200b we provide students with an \u2064accurate and \u2063comprehensive understanding of the complexities and dynamics that have\u2063 shaped \u2062our nation. \u200cWhile acknowledging the mistakes and\u200d injustices of the past, \u200cwe must also \u200bhighlight the progress \u2062and advancements that \u200bhave made the United States \u200dthe diverse and \u200dresilient country it\u200c is today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">By adopting a more balanced approach to \u2064the teaching \u2063of U.S.\u2062 history, we can \u2062empower students to critically analyze historical events, challenge \u200bprevailing \u200cnarratives, and contribute to a more inclusive and just society. Only by embracing the full breadth \u200dof our \u2064history can we truly appreciate the complexities of the American experience and work towards\u200c a better future for all.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>history courses at the college level is a cause for concern. The report highlights a lack of diversity in perspectives and a focus on memorization rather than critical thinking. It calls for reforms to ensure a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to teaching U.S. history in higher education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2543,"featured_media":2094307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2094306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2094306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2543"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2094306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2094306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2094307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2094306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2094306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2094306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}