America Revised: History Schoolbooks in the Twentieth Century

by Frances FitzGerald

FitzGerald's polemic analysis argues that contemporary texts reflect current social quarrels, frequently distorting history into propaganda

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Education, Politics, Americana, American History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Frances FitzGerald is an American journalist and historian.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. Well, I knew going in that I had a number of political differences with Frances Fitzgerald, albeit I do enjoy reading her. This was an interesting history of history books. There are a number of problems with history texts that she did NOT mention or uncover, but the ones she did cover are enough to explain the utter incoherence and virtual uselessness of history texts over the past 100 years. Which is a shame. I am always astounded at hearing from people that history was their least favorite subject; nearly all of those people can be easily convinced history is fascinating once standard textbooks are ditched. Interesting analysis, but there is even more blame to go around than Fitzgerald points fingers at; the entire structure of modern pedagogy could use some blame as well.

[Ed Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1980, I thought this would be quite dated, but it remains interesting. Discusses in a lively way the various changes in American History textbooks for children over the years. Originally they were written by one or two people and would have strong points of view. By the 1970s they were constructed by large teams of editors and consultants with the main goal of not offending too many people, producing profoundly boring books.

In broad strokes, that's not really news. But the details get pretty interesting. What exactly should kids be taught? Do they need to know only that President X did Y in year Z? Or should they learn about the debates that led to that decision? Should they learn an aspirational story the Constitution, or about the people who wrote it, or what it left out? Should they learn about artists and musicians? Just the "important people" or the everyday people? Learn who wrote "Common Sense" or know what it actually said? Memorize facts by rote, or engage in dialog and debate? Do kids exposed to different history textbooks actually end up having different views, anyway? Should people be taught history at all, and if so what is the goal?

All fascinating stuff. No definitive answers apart from the fact that history texts have mostly become impersonal and mind-numbingly boring by trying to avoid any controversy.

[Shawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insightful, somewhat dated, plenty of points but without much order, and this works fine because it lends itself to a more free form that is candid and interesting, for it is personal, however the book did more to point out problems than to allow for solutions. Should it be drill & grade through rote instruction? Or more creative? Should we concentrate on shaping the characters of children or on cultivating the seeds for independent & critical thinking? Did we move away from the brainy, high-minded, reach-for-the-stars intellectual atmosphere to a socially sensitive, reactionary, let’s-all-get-along stance? Is it okay, are some fields of study practically useless, vainglorious or self-serving?

This book kind of moved around by the will of the author and was difficult to follow sometimes, but, again, the conversational writing did make for a good experience. It felt a bit dry in the middle of the book, the beginning did intrigue me, but the end felt to be without an aim or a goal: what should we do? There were some great points and observations such as the telling of history and how it had evolved across the editions of school textbooks. I found it philosophical and anthropologically mystifying to wonder about how humans tell the history of their societies. Should we base it around a certain person or president? Or should we base the telling of history only around major events, and those events being solely negative events such as wars and invasions? How might we benefit from the telling of major constructive and cooperative happenings in the world, or how might we be inspired from the telling of the minor victories towards social justice?

It’s read does not take too much time, it is 200 pages of fairly engaging reading and the voice of the author is present. I only wish that I could have heard a more strong and firm argument in her voice for some thing. It felt as if the book were a rehashing of the many stages of publishing textbooks. She sits from an armchair and muses on where things went this way and how things happened that way. It’s not bad but there were some points which she had that deserved probing and further analysis. The topic of the book is deserving of attention because it shapes the minds of those who attend and are educated by public schools. The author does well to bring up the salient issues of education and schooling, and it is relevant today. I would recommend this book if you felt like racing through it in one or two days; there is much to learn from a book like this, but it might be a bit too esoteric for some. It is about anti-intellectualism.

[Mike Horne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this was published in 1980 (and therefore really ends about 1975), it is a fascinating look at how we teach history. Not with much intellectual rigor. I was looking for my textbook, The American Pageant by Bailey, but it is not mentioned. Then I remembered that it was a college textbook (than was adopted by many AP US History classes).

The biggest takeaway is that we keep doing similar things. John Dewey would have been very comfortable with educator’s ideas in the 1970s.

[ltcomdata · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about the way the American History non-college textbooks have changed since the late 1800s. Pretty informative, but also pretty boring. I do wish the book was more up to date: I would have liked to have read how the trends he was spotting in the late 1970s turned out (or are turning out). Alas, the book was published in 1979, and thus it is a litle outdated.

[Rebekah Lackman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a terribly new book, but I expect it even more relevant now than at publication.

[Paul Deaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading in 2023, even though it is rooted in the 20th Century.

[Amy Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting study of attempts to write a consistant American history narratives for children. Who are we, and where are we going?

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite its 1979 publication date, American Revised is very pertinent and almost timeless. This book really is an eye-opener and is good for helping the reader establish, or at least ponder, their thoughts on textbooks and the American educational system. The author definitely writes from the standpoint that one must understand history to understand the present. At times she even seems to see history as a "lesson" to be learned and to be used in the present. Her text offers a great sweep on textbooks from the nineteenth- and twentieth-centuries, focusing heavily on the Progressive era forward. Greater discussion of the Fundamentalist and Mandarin views in her last section, titled "Progressives, Fundamentalists, and Mandarins," would have been nice. Overall, I would highly recommend it to any person interested in or affiliated with education.

[Dan Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

American history, as taught in American schools, has changed drastically over centuries, decades, and years. The one consistency: it's always been biased, never entirely truthful.

Of course, if you're not American, it's possible that your country's history as taught in schools is entirely accurate. It's also possible that all your country's politicians have always been completely honest.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this years ago. It concerns the manipulation of textbook content by large (Texas and California) departments of Education through their enormous purchasing power.

[Ilib4kids]

Ref: Lies My Teacher Told Me : Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong