I’ll go ahead and state the obvious. Knowing that the Revolutionary War preceded the Civil War is not just the retention of meaningless facts. It’s the retention of a conceptual view of history that relates one event leading to another. It’s not possible for one person to know all facts of history, but knowing the difference between two of the very few most important events in your country’s history is nice. Especially if you plan to be a historian.
I'll quit complaining now. The kids do know that letter, though....
/johnny