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Why It's Time for a Patriot's History of the United States
The History News Network ^ | January 31, 2005 | Larry Schweikart

Posted on 01/30/2005 7:51:07 PM PST by quidnunc

For a half a century, the interpretation of America's story has drifted steadily leftward, sometimes almost imperceptibly and sometimes rather obviously. Whether through deliberate revision designed to question America's unique place in the world---often out of guilt---or whether through the steady assault of race, class, "gender," and other "oppressed/oppressor" scholarship, the overwhelming majority of U.S. history textbooks today have a distinct leftward slant. This became apparent to me more than a decade ago as I struggled to find a textbook that would emphasize the Founders and their visionary documents, analyze the New Deal critically (pointing out its myriad long-term harms), and deal with religion fairly rather than as a pathology.

When I could not find such a text, I joined with Michael Allen to write A Patriot's History of the United States (Penguin/Sentinel), which is the first comprehensive "conservative" history survey written by Americans. The big themes are not difficult to find. We portray the European founding of the New World as beneficial; the Founders as virtuous and wise; the Jacksonians as the forerunners of the modern "big government" Democrats; Lincoln as heroic; the notion of the "robber barons" as a myth; the New Deal as a disaster; American foreign policy in the twentieth century as stemming from genuine national security concerns and humanitarian goals; and Ronald Reagan as one of the century's greatest leaders. That is not to say we don't have criticisms of American leaders or policies, but unlike the majority of texts, we refuse to wallow in them. In the course of developing a fair assessment of our past, for example, it is essential not only to note that some of the Founders were slaveholders (and that many were not) but that a great many of them attempted to inject language in the founding documents that would place slavery on the road to extinction. Perhaps some were overly optimistic, but that is a far cry from the charges of "racism" often levied against them. It is likewise essential to point out that where the white hunters nearly exterminated the buffalo, they nearly succeeded only because they had better technology than the Indians, whose own hunter patterns were destroying the herds (if only more slowly). But then one must note that it was white frontiersmen and entrepreneurs who preserved the species, and, indeed, provided entire start-up herds to Yellowstone and other government parks. It is necessary to challenge the claims that the New Deal "rescued" American capitalism, and certainly it is critical to detail the disastrous long-term results of FDR's Depression-era policies. From the minimum wage to Social Security to Aid to Families with Dependent Children, one could hardly imagine a set of programs more effective at creating a massive entitlement-oriented population and a subset of fatherless families.

-snip-


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: culturewars; larryschweikart; patriotshistory; pc; politicalcorrectness

1 posted on 01/30/2005 7:51:07 PM PST by quidnunc
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To: quidnunc


Any FRecommendations for this book out there?
2 posted on 01/30/2005 8:09:36 PM PST by Citizen James (Well done is better than well said. - B. Franklin)
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To: Citizen James

"
Any FRecommendations for this book out there?"


Well, if the below passage is any indication, it sucks.

"
It is likewise essential to point out that where the white hunters nearly exterminated the buffalo, they nearly succeeded only because they had better technology than the Indians, whose own hunter patterns were destroying the herds (if only more slowly). But then one must note that it was white frontiersmen and entrepreneurs who preserved the species, and, indeed, provided entire start-up herds to Yellowstone and other government parks. "


3 posted on 01/30/2005 8:28:13 PM PST by Blzbba (Don't hate the player - hate the game!)
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To: Citizen James
I haven't picked this one up yet, but will in the near future. One that is good that is along these lines is Paul Johnson's "A History of the American People".
4 posted on 01/30/2005 8:30:14 PM PST by Major Matt Mason (Fiscally conservative and morally responsible.)
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To: quidnunc

bttt


5 posted on 01/30/2005 8:30:56 PM PST by Badray (This tag line under construction.)
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To: Citizen James; Blzbba
Any FRecommendations for this book out there?

You could ask freeper LS about it. He wrote the book. :-)

6 posted on 01/30/2005 9:35:50 PM PST by texasflower ("America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one." President George W. Bush 01/20/05)
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To: quidnunc

Thanks, dude. I appreciate the plug!


7 posted on 01/31/2005 4:03:34 AM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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To: Blzbba

And what is false about that?


8 posted on 01/31/2005 4:03:56 AM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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To: LS

"And what is false about that?"


The Indians weren't exterminating the herds 'more slowly' and were being pressed to hunt the creatures in far-smaller areas with each annexation of territory by 'the white man'. I.E. If not for the actions of dumb white hunters, the buffalo would've never been in any danger from Indian hunting.

If the rest of this book is more of this 'the white man didn't really do anything wrong' nonsense, it's not very historically accurate. In fairness, I've only picked on one passage. Maybe the rest of the book isn't written with such a white chip on its shoulder.


9 posted on 01/31/2005 6:57:31 AM PST by Blzbba (Don't hate the player - hate the game!)
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To: Blzbba

You might check the most recent ARCHEOLOGICAL and ANTHROPOLGICAL studies before you spout. Shephard Kretch, III's "The Ecological Indian" disputes what you say, based on extensive analysis of pre-white hunting techniques. Ditto Andrew Isenberg's book, "The Destruction of the Bison." Both books (and articles by Dan Flores---hardly a "whites-didn't-do-anything-wrong" guy) all come to the same conclusions. With or without whites, the hunting patterns and cultures of the Indians were depleting all the game faster than it was being restocked. It was not a matter of whether they would exterminate the buffalo--just how soon. Several tribes, for instance, believed they could not exterminate anything, because the buffalo were "given by the gods." Nor did they have ANY market mechanisms to force them to conserve or, more important, to GROW NEW DOMESTIC HERDS. In short, your view has no support whatsoever among modern researchers of all political stripes.


10 posted on 01/31/2005 7:13:36 AM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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To: quidnunc
We portray the European founding of the New World as beneficial; the Founders as virtuous and wise; the Jacksonians as the forerunners of the modern "big government" Democrats; Lincoln as heroic; the notion of the "robber barons" as a myth; the New Deal as a disaster; American foreign policy in the twentieth century as stemming from genuine national security concerns and humanitarian goals; and Ronald Reagan as one of the century's greatest leaders.

This sounds a bit like propaganda.

Don't tell us what you think of historical events; just tell us what the historical events were and let us determine for ourselves if they were beneficial, great, virtuous, disasterous, heroic, genuine or wise.

Otherwise, it's not history as much as it is historical commentary.
11 posted on 01/31/2005 7:20:41 AM PST by BikerNYC
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To: LS

I'll look into those studies. If I'm mistaken, I'll retract this statement. It doesn't match up with other stuides I've read, but my mind is open.

But given that the 'white hunter' did nearly destroy the bison herds, I don't see any reason to give kudos to the 'white people' who saved them, as it was 'white people' who necessitated the rescue in the first place.

I'm a white guy, btw.


12 posted on 01/31/2005 7:49:22 AM PST by Blzbba (Don't hate the player - hate the game!)
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To: Blzbba

I'm a white guy too, and I think you'll find that the book cuts no slack to Cody or the other buffalo hunters who nearly did eradicate the herds. But it was ONLY whites (using market principles) who say, "Waitaminnit! We better do something." And it was Cody, of all people, who so publicized the bison with his "Wild West Shows" that he started in essence the ASPCA!


13 posted on 01/31/2005 9:05:55 AM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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To: LS
It seems the NYT is getting nervous about people who dare to offer dissident interpretations of history. Have you seen this?

The Difference Between Politically Incorrect and Historically Wrong

It doesn't mention your book, but does mention others as it fulminates against "fringe" right-wing history, and chalks it up to some sort of plot to undo Social Security and otherwise dismantle the Left.

As some wise Freeper once said, throw a rock into a pack of dogs and the one that squeals is the one that got hit.

14 posted on 01/31/2005 9:14:01 AM PST by untenured
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To: quidnunc
This is a good read. You can read it online, however I had the pleasure of reading it from my great grandfathers library.

THE ROMANCE AND TRAGEDY OF PIONEER LIFE.

A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF THE HEROES AND ADVENTURERS WHO, BY THEIR VALOR AND WAR-CRAFT, BEAT BACK THE SAVAGES FROM THE BORDERS OF CIVILIZATION AND GAVE THE AMERICAN FORESTS TO THE PLOW AND THE SICKLE.

15 posted on 01/31/2005 9:18:50 AM PST by CJ Wolf (Don't mind the caps, I'm not shouting, just copy/pasteing.)
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