Conservative pressure changes AP American history class

[presence]

tube at source
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/conservative-pressure-changes-ap-american-history-class/


August 1, 2015, 6:46 PM|Responding to conservative criticism, The College Board has revised guidelines for teaching AP American history. New study topics include the American ideals of liberty, self-governance and the productive role of free enterprise. Contessa Brewer reports.



Less focus on negative impact on natives, more focus on positive impact of pioneering spirit and free enterprise.

"American Ideals of Liberty, Citizenship, and Self Governance"

[Ronin Truth]

More or less historic accuracy now that it has been changed?

[Lindsey]

Isn't any course that doesn't teach multiple perspectives incomplete?

I have Mohawk and Blackfoot ancestors, and I also have ancestors who were killed by Mohicans and Lenni Lenape while attempting to colonize the lands they already occupied. Both stories are a part of my heritage; both are a part of the history of this land. The story of this land isn't just one of liberty and patriotism, nor is just one of oppression of the native peoples. There are many perspectives to every story - teaching children to analyze history is more important than ingraining them with a specific viewpoint on events IMHO.

[UWDude]

Sounds like AP history when I took it a couple of decades ago. One giant thick book of "America, greatest nation in history, or most righteous nation in history? You decide."


P.S. I got a 5/5.

[Lindsey]

Sounds like AP history when I took it a couple of decades ago. One giant thick book of "America, greatest nation in history, or most righteous nation in history? You decide."


P.S. I got a 5/5.

My school didn't have "AP" classes. Can you tell us more about the tone and themes of the text/course?

[presence]

My school didn't have "AP" classes. Can you tell us more about the tone and themes of the text/course?

My AP US History teacher had a personal obsession with the parallels of the wizard of oz and US gold/monetary policy. He got fired.

http://www.usagold.com/gildedopinion/oz.html

[CPUd]

I had US History AP back then, too. We didn't have a textbook. Day 1, I believe it started with Jamestown, then a big chunk about the 13 colonies; the first exam we had to write a few paragraphs about each one- names, dates, issues. The Revolution, French and Indian War, War of 1812, Spanish-American War. Other big ongoing topics were Constitutional amendments, issues and legislation surrounding statehood, Presidential elections and the Civil War. The course ended with Nixon and Watergate. We didn't get into the World Wars in great detail, because the same teacher taught AP World History, where it started with Spanish settlements in South and Central America. The first big topic was the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, later on, the influence of Europe on the US Revolution and Civil Wars. The biggest topic by far was the aftermath of WWI and how it led to WWII. We did watch a lot of Nazi propaganda films. The end of that course was interesting, because the Berlin Wall had recently come down, so that material was being added to the course; we knew people from West Germany, but never met anyone from East Germany. Of course by then, they would drop the "West" and say they were just German.

[DevilsAdvocate]

Most of my AP US history class was memorizing names and dates. A totally pointless excercise. Almost nothing about general themes, sentiments, cultural trends...etc. Our teacher literally made us fill out worksheets designed to help us remember exact dates, times, etc...

All in all, the biggest flaw in the teaching of history is how unions are portrayed as the great saviors of mankind. Before I had any understanding of economics, I was told that the evil capitalists industrial production lowered the price of food, meaning that people who used to be happily living on farms were now forced to go find work in the smoke filled cities where they were paid slave wages, beaten and abused.

Then came the unions, fighting for workers rights. Teaching those capitalists who was boss and heroically raising the standard of living of everybody. When every single teacher is a member of a union, this is an easy sell.