Misleading_Us_History_Textbooks

When it comes to discussing World War II, most Americans have reached a consensus that this great world war was ultimately a good war: “a fight against Nazism and Fascism which represented the unimaginable evils” (Mudiganti, 2). Although more than 70 million lives were lost throughout the duration of this war (including the deaths caused by the nuclear bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki which many argue resulted in the nuclear arms race), the destructive forces of the Nazi Party were defeated, so of course this theory of a “Good War” must be valid. This misperception of the United States’ involvement in World War II as the knight in shining armor destroying all the “bad guys” (the Axis Powers) by whatever means necessary provides a sense of unrivaled patriotism and nationalism that has become a tool many politicians use today as a means to convince the general American public that their intentions are good and their controversial decisions are justified. Looking back, the first time I officially learned history topics that covered America’s involvement in certain world wars like that of World War II was all the way back in middle school. Like any other seventh grader enrolled in California’s public school system, I was required to take a year long United States History course. Using McGraw Hill’s The American Journey as a reference, my seventh grade teacher Mrs. Berls focused on specific events, exact dates, and a whole lot of other factual information regarding the wars and breakthroughs the United States had been involved in the past. By the time I left that seventh grade class with all those facts and dates crammed into my little thirteen year old head, it was safe to say I wanted nothing to do with another United States history course again. And why would I' I learned pretty much all I ever needed to know about the history of our country: America always comes out on top despite all the setbacks and hardships it faces. Why learn the same exact events all over again' So, one can only imagine my frustration upon hearing I would be expected to take another United States history course my junior year in high school. Thinking I knew all there was to know about the history of the United States, I was pleasantly surprised with the direction my high school course took. Unlike my seventh grade teacher Mrs. Berls, my high school instructor Dr. Sullivan made sure to expose all sides of the story to my class, not just the American perspective. She was successful in doing this by bringing in supplementary reading assignments in addition to our main history textbook, David Kennedy’s The American Pageant. This one history course really did open my eyes and show me a whole new approach on how to view American history. Probably the most obvious example showing theses differences in teaching was the way each class dealt with discussing the United States’ involvement in World War II. As a seventh grader, I left those middle school lessons proud by the way our country was able to end such a destructive war. The way these middle school textbooks, like McGraw Hill’s The American Journey, present their material makes it almost impossible for any student to not feel this sense of nationalism, due to the fact that “their contents are muddled by the conflicting desires to promote inquiry and indoctrinate blind patriotism” (Loewen, 6). What I failed to realize at the time was how our country ultimately allowed the war to escalate as far as it did in the first place. Yes, towards the beginning of World War II, we were not directly influenced by the conflicts occurring among the European nations, but that still should not have validated our decision to stay neutral and avoid having any form of involvement with the other side of the world. The fact of the matter is that the United States waited till finally Japan directly attacked America by bombing Pearl Harbor. They failed to take the initiative to fight against the evils of Nazism, which had inflicted so much harm and damage on millions of people; instead, the United States sat on the sidelines and waited till it got too far. I would be lying if I said I did not feel a bit of embarrassment for the United States upon discovering through my high school class just how inconsiderate Americans could be. The fact that this war didn’t directly damage them at first but did hurt a number of other struggling countries makes me feel as though the United States has a very selfish side to them that only wants to act when its own self is in trouble. Besides just being selfish, the United States also made some questionable decisions when it came to the issue over the dropping of the atomic bombs. Despite the fact that the Japanese had already surrendered, the United States still felt it was necessary to drop the nuclear bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, killing approximately 220,000 Japanese habitants (most of which were innocent bystanders). At this point of the war, the outcome of the war was fairly certain: the Axis Powers (Germany and Japan) had lost; yet for some twisted reason, the United States felt that using such a destructive force was appropriate- whether it was to experiment the effectiveness of the atomic bombs or to simply display a sense of empowerment and dominance over other competing nations. But no matter how one looks at it, the dropping of the atomic bombs is definitely controversial and displays an inconsiderate and ravenous side to America. Instead of mentioning this side of America, however, most United States history textbooks seem to focus only on all the bad and damage that the other side had committed. By vilifying any other competing nations and presenting America as some sort of hero nation, “our educational media [is able to] turn flesh-and-blood individuals into pious, perfect creatures without conflicts, pain, credibility, or human interest” (Loewen, 18). Overall, besides the fact that the United States was caught red handed with some immoral acts, the idea that the United States was everyone’s knight in shining armor at the end of the war has been reinforced in American culture through a variety of means, whether it be middle school textbooks, national historic museums, or popular cinema. The bottom line is historical facts exposing the “truth” about America deny the much needed fairy tale story that have Americans feeling a sense of nationalism at the end of the day. This misconception that the United States are always on the “good side” cleaning up the mess the “bad” has left behind is still apparent in today’s society. One may argue that this sense of unrivaled patriotism has paved the road for future politicians and government officials to convince the American public that certain wars or other controversial acts should be considered “good” and necessary for the well-being of the country, even if it may seem to be wrong or immoral thing to do. However, as one starts to become more familiar with all the injustices and corruption that has occurred in our nation’s past, it certainly make him more cynical and suspicious of what the United States government is up to now. As for myself, I am now quick to question the validity of what I read in a book or of what I hear in the media.