Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black & White

by David Barton

Setting the Record Straight is a unique view of the religious and moral heritage of black Americans, with an emphasis on the untold yet significant stories from our rich political history. The material presented is ground-breaking and revolutionary, leaving readers amazed and inspired.

Genres: History, American History, Politics, Nonfiction, American, Race

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

David Barton is the Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America's forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage.

WallBuilders is a name taken from the Old Testament writings of Nehemiah, who led a grassroots movement to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore its strength and honor. In the same way, WallBuilders seeks to energize the grassroots today to become involved in strengthening their communities, states, and nation.

David is the author of numerous best-selling books, with the subjects being drawn largely from his massive library of tens of thousands of original writings from the Founding Era. He also addresses well over 400 groups each year.

His exhaustive research has rendered him an expert in historical and constitutional issues and he serves as a consultant to state and federal legislators, has participated in several cases at the Supreme Court, was involved in the development of the History/Social Studies standards for states such as Texas and California, and has helped produce history textbooks now used in schools across the nation.

Reviews

[Sam Doyel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had heard some negative things about David Barton's writing, but I decided to read through it with an open mind. What I discovered really disappointed me. It was even worse than I had heard.

1. Before even discussing the content, I will say that the structure is awful. 138 pages with no clear divisions, like one long disjointed article. It's just one paragraph after another, and it doesn't always follow a clear chronological or topical progression.

2. The overall premise. I incorrectly assumed by the cover, introduction, and a paragraph on the back that this book would be about African-American political involvement. As it says on the back, "'Setting the Record Straight' reintroduces this generation to the forgotten heroes and untold stories from our rich African American political history." While it does include some references to actual African American leaders, that's not its main focus. By "forgotten heroes," Barton means good Republicans who helped civil rights, and by "untold stories," Barton means explaining the terrible history of the Democratic party. In essence, the entire premise is Republicans v. Democrats, not African American history.

3. Yes, Barton includes a lot of facts and backs them up with sources. However, he cherry-picks the facts and omits other facts that might be contrary to his views. I agree that a lot of wrong was done by Democrats in the Civil War era/Reconstruction era, and I'm not even addressing his conclusion. I'm simply disappointed with his unethical way of getting to that final point. If you don't fact check everything he says, most of it sounds really good, but really isn't. For example:

a. On page 66, speaking of African Americans being elected to political offices, Barton says, "Significantly, the first three black U.S. Senators--Revels, Bruce, and Brooke--were all Republicans. Carol Moseley-Braun (of Illinois) was the fourth black American to serve in the U.S. Senate, but only the first Democrat; and Barack Obama (also from Illinois) was only the second black Democratic U.S. Senator)." This statement is completely accurate. However, the way that statement is written makes it sound like the Democrats are way behind Republicans historically in terms of racial diversity amongst U.S. senators. At the time of the writing of this book, only five African-Americans had been elected as a U.S. senator--three Republicans and two Democrats. Seeing that in perspective diminishes the impact that Barton was intending. In addition, the current total of African-Americans who have served as U.S. senator is nine--four Republicans and five Democrats. Here's how Barton would word that if he were a Democrat: "In the past 130 years, Republicans have only had two African-Americans serve as U.S. senator. Not only has the Democrat party had five African-Americans serve as U.S. senator in the last 20 years, but also one of those is the only female African-American senator and another went on to become the first African-American president of the United States." That statement would also be correct, but it improperly skews the perception of true historical reality.

b. On pages 88-89, Barton points out that Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 was a reinstatement of the education desegregation that Republicans had fought for back in 1875. He then continues to hit Democrats by speaking of the Southern Democrat backlash against the Supreme Court's decision. Again, Barton makes it seem as if Republicans were solely responsible for the desegregation of education and that Democrats were the only ones opposed to it. Perhaps he should have also mentioned that the Brown v. Board of Education ruling was a unanimous 9-0 decision by six Democrat, two Republican (one, Warren, was Chief Justice), and one Independent justices.

c. Around pages 120-127, Barton writes on the civil rights acts in the late 50s through the 60s. He speaks glowingly of President Eisenhower's contributions to civil rights acts while diminishing any reference to the civil rights views of Democrat Presidents Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson. He indicates that all of the civil rights acts were only passed because of the strong support of Republicans in spite of the fierce opposition by Democrats. He points out that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had a Republican support rate that was nearly 20% higher than the Democrat support rate. This statistic clearly shows Democrats opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, right? Well, let's take a look at two different ways to look at the numbers for support of the Civil Rights Act. First, you can look at it by party voting. In the Senate, the overall vote was 73-27. Democrats voted 46-21 (69% in favor), and Republicans voted 27-6 (82% in favor). In the House, the overall vote was 289-126. Democrats voted 153-91 (63% in favor), and Republicans voted 136-35 (80% in favor). According to this way of looking at the numbers, this confirms Barton's point of view. However, the second way to look at the numbers is voting by region--Northern and Southern states. For this point of view, the Southern states are those states which seceded and the Northern states are all others states. In the Senate, Southern Democrats voted 1-20 (5% in favor) and Southern Republicans voted 0-1 (0%). However, Northern Democrats voted 45-1 (98% in favor), while Northern Republicans voted 27-5 (84% in favor). In the House, Southern Democrats voted 7-87 (7% in favor) and Southern Republicans voted 0-10 (0% in favor). However, Northern Democrats voted 145-9 (94% in favor) and Northern Republicans voted 138-24 (85% in favor). Overall, Northern Democrats voted 190-10 in favor while Northern Republicans voted 165-29 in favor of the Civil Rights Act. Southern Democrats voted 8-107 against while Southern Republicans voted 0-11 against. Looking at the numbers from a regional perspective gives a much more accurate view. When you look at it from this perspective, you should realize that David Barton is falsely portraying reality--it wasn't Democrat v. Republican like he wants to deceive you.

4. David Barton is somewhat hypocritical in his book. On page 125, he calls out the DNC because their website leaves out their history from 1848-1900. He states, "Why would Democrats skip over their own history from 1848 to 1900? Perhaps because it's not the kind of civil rights history they want to talk about--perhaps because it is not the kind of civil rights history they want to have on their website." Do I think that's an accurate statement? Yes, I think there could definitely be legitimacy to that statement. But while Barton calls out the DNC, he commits the same mistake. He spends nearly the entirety of the book going over racist Democrat policies from the Reconstruction Era in the South. Near the end of the book, he finally gets into civil rights in the 1900s, but he only spends roughly 16 pages out of 138 on any time period outside of 1848-1900. Why would Barton skim over that history? Perhaps because that's not the kind of civil rights history that reinforces the heavily biased points he's trying to convey. In the 16 pages discussing non-Reconstruction Era civil right, he only has weak, baseless attacks on Democrats like the points I've already explained in 3b and 3c.

5. My last main frustration with this book is that making civil rights a Democrat v. Republican issue just turns into an endless, pointless debate. Barton's book doesn't achieve anything; it just panders to one side. According to MLK Jr (who Barton barely even mentions), "Actually, the Negro has been betrayed by both the Republican and the Democratic party. The Democrats have betrayed him by capitulating to the whims and caprices of the Southern Dixiecrats. The Republicans have betrayed him by capitulating to the blatant hypocrisy of reactionary right wing northern Republicans. And this coalition of southern Dixiecrats and right wing reactionary northern Republicans defeats every bill and every move towards liberal legislation in the area of civil rights." That roughly 70 word statement by MLK Jr. encapsulates more truth on Democrats v. Republicans regarding civil rights than the amount of correctly portrayed truth in the entirety of Barton's 138 page book.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is incredibly offensive to find out that after grade school, high school, and four years of college courses, an entire block of history has been omitted from my public education. This book lays bare the truth behind the movement to supress black achievement -- even simple involvement in the workings and daily life of America -- accomplished almost single-handedly by the Democratic Party. The author is unapologetically conservative, but whether you agree or not with his political opinions, it's hard to argue with the facts upon which he draws. More of an essay than a book, this work is 138 pages of text and illustrations backed up by 472 end notes and 12 pages of sources, which include books, periodicals, original documents, and websites. It is written in a style suitable to the understanding of anyone beginning at about an 8th grade education.

Do you know that within a few years of the Emancipation Declaration, the state of Louisiana had 127 black legislators--all Republican, and a black lieutenant governor who later served as State governor? Did you know that following the Civil War, there were seven black Americans elected to the U.S. Congress? All Republicans, most (if not all) former slaves, all well-educated and surprisingly eloquent. Most people by now know that the KKK was started by the Democratic Party, but did you also know that a full third of Klan lynchings were white Republicans? I remember being taught about the Jim Crow laws and the barriers set up in the South to keep blacks away from the voting booth; but a key fact that keeps getting passed over in history is that the blacks were voting Republican to a man. You'll discover in this book when that trend began to change.

This little book will open your eyes. You'll never look at racial discrimination the same way again.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

It discussed the history of the Republican and Democratic beginnings and how the Democratic Party specifically believed in White Supremacy. They also started the Ku Klux Klan, reciting some documents to support that this was their cause. The author supplies a miriad of documents to support his findings and leaves the reader shocked and dismayed. It also discusses the amazing advancements of some incredible black men and their many accomplishments. The author provides stories that prove that we are all God's children and when given freedom, can become amazing individuals, no matter our race. If the African-Americans knew the "true" history of their past and the origins of the democratic party, they wouldn't be Democrats. The democratic blacks have utterly been duped, and will continue to be suppressed as long as they continue to vote them into office. The Republicans had always voted to give them their rights, the Democrats always tried to suppress it. I am a believer that not all Republicans or Democrats are good, but let me quote Noah Webster who represents what I believe..."In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect (party) of the candidate - look to his character...It is alleged by men of loose principles or deflective views of the subject that religion and morality are not necessary of important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men "who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness." This is the belief of the author and he ends the book in this manner.
This author did extensive research and backs up his statements with many documents and pictures. Some pictures very graphic, but helped me see how horrific the treatment of blacks were in the south. I recommend this book to everyone.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short book that focuses on the history of civil rights in America, focusing especially on the time between the Civil War and the 1940s or so. This history often goes untold. The author focuses on the different policies between Democrats and Republicans during that era. I think this was in response to the Democrat party saying they never had anything to do with Jim Crow or the Ku Klux Klan despite this being a blatant lie. (It’s kind of like how they’re now saying they never pushed for defunding the police.)

For example, while students in school learn early on that the first load of slaves sailed up the James River in Virginia in 1619 and thus slavery was introduced in America, few learn about the first slaves that arrived in the Massachusetts Colony set up by the Christian Pilgrims and Puritans. When that slave ship arrived in Massachusetts, the ship’s officers were arrested and imprisoned and the kidnapped slaves were returned to Africa at the Colony’s expense.

Mr. Barton goes over the Three-Fifths clause of the Constitution, which still goes largely misunderstood. I don’t remember if he pointed out that one of the grievances of the American colonists was that Britain had imposed slavery on them, but it’s still worth mentioning.

[The] 1875 civil rights bill was the last of the almost-two-dozen civil rights bills passed under Republicans. In fact, following the passage of that 1875 bill, it would be another 89 years before the next civil rights law was passed. Why did the remarkable progress come to an abrupt halt after 1875? Because in 1876 Democrats gained control of the U.S. House for the first time since 1865.

That’s when the South put in poll taxes, literacy tests re-segregation, the first gun control laws (it was harder to lynch blacks who were armed) and similar outrageous laws.

It’s pretty interesting history even if kind of depressing. It features a lot of black Americans who got into government in the 1800s and some of their speeches. The book has a lot of pictures: photos, drawings, and political cartoons. There are a couple of racial slurs in these documents. Otherwise, it’s entirely clean content.

The Stars and Stripes—the old flag—will float … over all these States … If the time ever comes when we shall go to pieces, it will … be … from inward corruption—from the disregard of right principles … from losing sight of the fact that “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but that sin is a reproach to any people” [Proverbs 14:34] … The secession of the Southern States in 1860 was a small matter with the secession of the Union itself from the great principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence, in the Golden Rule, in the Ten Commandments, in the Sermon on the Mount. Unless we hold firmly to these great fundamental principles of righteousness, … our Union … will be “only a covenant with death and an agreement with hell.” If it continues to exist, it will be a curse and not a blessing. — Rev. Francis Grimke

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most fascinating history books I have read in a long time. It is very well documented and contains 40 pages of notes and index material. This is the history of African Americans in American politics from before the Revolutionary War to today. I have some new heroes to admire and teach my children about. I learned things about Frederick Douglass, for example, that I was never taught in school.

Quotes:

I was, on the anti-slavery question,...fully committed to (the) doctrine touching the pro-slavery character of the Constitution...I advocated it with pen and tongue, according to the best of my ability...Upon a reconsideration of the whole subject, I became convinced... that the Constitution of the United States not only contained no guarantees in favor of slavery, but on the contrary, it is in its letter and spirit an anti-slavery instrument, demanding the abolition of slavery as a condition of its own existence as the supreme law of the lad. Here was a radical change in my opinions...Brought directly, when I escaped from slavery, into contact with a class of abolitionists regarding the Constitution as a slaveholding instrument, it is not strange that I assumed the Constitution to be just what their interpretation made it...But I was now conducted to the conclusion that the Constitution of the United States was not designed to maintain and perpetuate a system of slavery - especially as not one word can be found in the Constitution to authorize such a belief. Frederick Douglass

I am the slave of principles; I call no political party master...I have ever most sincerely embraced the democratic ideal - not, indeed, as represented or professed by any party, but according to its real significance as transfigured in the Declaration of Independence and in the injunctions of Christianity. Representative Robert Brown Elliot

In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect (party) of the candidate - look to his character. Noah Webster

[Jen Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started off pretty enthusiastic after the forward. There is a shortage of history that includes the contributions of black Americans during the foundations of the US. I was hopeful that this would be a book that I could use with my 2 kids that still partially homeschool.

I started highlighting cool facts pretty early in. Some things that I had vague memories of, but others that I had NEVER heard about.

BUT.... but page 20, I returned to the first page and renamed the first chapter. I wrote "Real chapter title- The Democrats are the Bad Guys"

If I had realized that there were no chapters I would have done that differently. I assumed that there were chapters.

For example:
On page 24 the entire page is dedicated to how Democrats are evil.

It begins with how Democrats were responsible for the Dred Scott decision (which is true) which says that black people were property.

Which is tied to how Democrats have the same position to day about how unborn babies are disposable property ..... the rest of the page is about the current democratic position about abortion.

I'm having a super difficult time understanding how this fits into a "history book" talking about the role of blacks in the formation of the United States.

A similar example is made from page 42-43:
Republicans invited Rev. Garnet (a black minister) to preach at the Capital. The Democrats notably did NOT invite him to speak.

This points to how Democrats hate God and how they do not support prayer in school or the display of the 10 commandments or the ability of churches to campaign or Biblical marriage.

Again..... these 2 entire pages are super not at all about US history and how blacks were involved, but instead about how Democrats were and continue to be horrible.

I completely agreed with many things the author cut directly to.

He refused to allow for the crazy talk of those who attempt to argue that the Civil War was about States Rights.

The quote I liked best was " .... that right had related primarily to the right of States to make their own decisions about slavery."

And he cuts through the BS about 5% of southerners owning slaves because 19% of households owned slaves. I like having numbers like that at hand.

He seems to be a little defensive about the idea that people do not understand that it was the Democratic South that was primarily about Slavery and started the KKK and fought to continue slavery.

It is entirely possible that people do not know this. We are not good about teaching our own history. But I believe most people who are interested are very aware of these things.

But this level of defensiveness seems to get in the way of actually teaching the history itself.

I really LOVE that he points out the amazing things that black Americans were doing. Because much of that is lost.

But the word Democrat or Republican is used so much that it is almost difficult to find their names.

By the time we (historically) reach the 1950's and 1960's.... the parties have started to see some MAJOR shifting.

But, he doesn't really move into any of that. Any comments he makes about the current political parties are only about prayer and abortion and gay marriage.

He even attempts to say that the REASON democrats oppose vouchers is because they are racist and want to keep black kids inside of black schools. Without links or evidence.

Like currently 90% of the GOP is white.
And currently the south is still struggling the most with racism and votes Republican.
And currently the KKK votes with the Republican party.
And currently the NAACP sides with the democrats.
He lists things about the black leadership that have been democrats and says things like, "There has never been a black democrat preside over their national convention"..... but he conveniently leaves out that there was a US President that was black and a democrat.
My only point being that there was a lot of really interesting history IN the book..... but it wasn't really a history book. But it was a republican propaganda book first.

Okay <3
Now author--
I looked this guy up because I'm curious.
He is not a historian. Which is sort of sad. His work is pretty routinely challenged and he even got some pretty huge pushback from a group of conservative Christian Historians.
He is accused regularly of promoting "unorthodox" and "widely speculative" history.
That makes me sad, because I had highlighted some history facts that I thought were super cool. Now I'm not even sure if they are actually true. I'll have to double check them :(

*deep breath*
Overall, the history itself was interesting.
It is written on about a 5th grade level (he defines the words inside the text) and if the propaganda inside could have been turned down, I would allow children to read it. As it stands now, I wouldn't allow children to read it.
I do not regret reading it at all.

More than anything, for me, it also points to how amazingly partisan every issue has become.
This book was written in 2019.

Can we not even write or read a book about the contributions of black Americans to the foundations of our country without REALLY writing a book about who is better? Republicans or Democrats??

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would add this to all high school american history curriculum if I could. I was astonished to learn how much of history as I was taught was left out or distorted. I was amazed by the comprehensive research that even taught where some of my own misconceptions had originated and why they had become common misconceptions. Overall this book was enjoyable to read, well written, well researched, and contains valuable historical information for all Americans.

[Jesse Schexnayder · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are critical elements to our nation's history that are being ignored in our national and state public education systems. Read this book to start yourself on the path to restoring America's true history. You will learn things that change your perspective, and for that, this book is worth your time.

[Proud2b4family · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required reading in all public schools...especially the urban, poor schools in which Democrats have trapped millions of black students over the years.

Also, if you learned "history" from a public school curriculum, you would do well to read this book. It is, as Paul Harvey was fond of saying, "the rest of the story" (but told correctly this time).

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quick read! A MUST read if you are an American! This book made me so angry at times...I just can't believe the things people are capable of. OR the fact that some of these things are "unknown". Really just an amazing, eye-opening read.

As the title suggests, this goes back through American History...and tells the story of what happend all through the ages with slavery. The struggles to end it, and the mind boggeling steps taken to keep it.

It's not the BEST writing, it flows more like a large essay...but the content, really worth the read!

[Read-n-Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is full of information about our true history that some doesn’t want you to know. I don’t know when it stopped being taught in schools, but it did. It truly does set the record straight about our black history and our white history. I read it in 3 days. It usually takes me a lot longer to read a book, because of life and me just not being able to read for a long period of time, but this was so good, I couldn’t put it down! All who love history, especially American history, read it! I recommend this book to everyone.

[Donald Harwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read! Mr. Barton begins at the civil war, (and slightly before) and proceeds to present day with a detailed account of how African-Americans have achieved political equality. This is vividly different from what we are told by minority leaders, but Mr. Barton presents documents to back up his claims. I especially enjoyed the reproductions of old cartoons and op-ed pages.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. There is so much American History we are never told. WHY?? When was the first Black judge? Have we had a black Speaker of the House? These are questions you will find the answers to plus so much more. This is a book everyone should read!

[Syl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be read by everyone! This is a wealth of history that has been forgotten. It is a short quick read. Almost a third of the book is the documentation of where the facts came from. There are some issues of the book that I feel the need to research further.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for anyone desiring to understand black history. David Barton presents some surprising facts and uses original documents and newspaper articles to support his points. Want to know who has fought for civil rights? Read this book.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a CNA and I do home care. My client referred this book to me and I referred 3 Lalita Tademy books to him. This book should be a requirement in history classes. It is easy to read. It is put together very well with a lot of facts.This book doesn't sugar coat what happened during slavery. It is an amazing read but you will find yourself with tears in your eyes because of how they are treated and what they go through. It is a real eye opener.

[C.C. Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Great to go back and get some history I never learned in school! It was thorough and to the point.

[Jim Kilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent! It should be required reading for every high school history class. It breaks down the barriers of sanitized history and tells the unvarnished truth of the role of African Americans in the history of our nation!

[Pegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Barton has an agenda and it comes through from the first pages of this book. He wanted to set the record straight on which political party has furthered the civil rights of Black Americans throughout our history. He did exactly that. The last quarter of this book is footnotes and supporting documentation of what he has put forth in the preceding pages. Mr. Barton does not like what the Democratic Party historically did in regards to civil rights and Mr. Barton is obviously a Christian. If either of those would offend the reader, do not read this book.

I found many aspects of this history fascinating. As a life-long history buff, particularly American history, I found a lot within its pages to keep me reading on. One aspect that I had only a nodding acquaintance with was the extend to which Black Americans were involved in our national government in the years immediately following the Civil War. Men went from slavery to Congress in literally a handful of years. Only in America! And while the southern states were still under Republican majorities, many Black Americans also served in the southern states' legislatures.

One thing I did not know, had never read about or studied, was the extent to which the Democratic Party was involved with the Ku Klux Klan. I knew that some members of the party had been involved in the Klan, but Mr. Barton presents a strong case that the party as a whole was actively involved. I followed a few of his footnotes on this and will follow up some more when I have time.

I also had not realized that during the almost 100 years when lynching was practiced, one quarter of those lynched were white. The whole issue of lynching and the numerous attempts to stop it was very interesting reading. While it seems like ancient history, it really wasn't that long ago.

If you enjoy history and learning more than what your high school textbook included, if you enjoy reading about brave Americans who dared to stand up for what was right, and if you aren't offended by some obvious writer bias... I recommend this book.

[Britni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I have finally read a book that I absolutely did not like. Keep in mind, I love history and politics. I love to hear opposing sides and different perspectives. I also do not have allegiance to a political party. With that in mind, this book was ridiculous. I was so excited to read a book about black history in our nation from what I assumed would be a conservative perspective. Seemed intriguing and the description looked interesting. I was excited to learn more about our first black members of state legislatures and US Congress. That is not what this book focused on...

Other than the first section that shared a very interesting perspective and quotes from anti-slavery members of the Continental Congress and Frederick Douglass on the Three-Fifths clause, I was just frustrated. This book was essentially trying to convince people that the Democratic Party is entirely evil and republicans are the ones that care about black people. Almost every historical fact shared in the book was shared through that perspective. I always expect some bias in historical books, but my goodness! You don’t have to continually remind me that republicans were the ones that voted in legislation to emancipate the slaves.

Black historical figures were mentioned, but too much of the book was devoted to stories and quotes about white republicans that were for abolishing slavery or demonizing as many democrats as possible. Honestly, I don’t care! Don’t tell me who to love and hate in history! I’ll decide that on my own, thank you.

So little was mentioned about these amazing black people in our government’s history. All of the sections that actually focused on and quoted black historians, politicians, and religious leaders were wonderful. I had high hopes after the first few pages, but this was a missed opportunity. I didn’t want to read Republican Party propaganda. I just wanted history.

[Tommy May · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is one terrible writer. The book has no chapters and the real purpose of the book is exposed by page 40. The title should read, The Truth About Civil Rights History and The Awful Role the Democratic National Party Played.
I hate when the author sneaks in his true motive behind the book, I feel like I was lied too. Further it felt like I was reading the lecture of a 500 level history class where the professor keeps going off on rants. The author would be addressing the history and then would jump to current events and exclaim, 'that is why the Democratic Party is evil'.
Now his personal rants and politic view aside, it is a quick and interesting read about many important, as well as misunderstood, historical facts about how the U.S. was making great progress in Civil rights in the late 1700's early 1800's and then a sudden switch in political momentum when the political party in charge changes.
The facts that David Barton brings forth are very important and every intrested citizen should be aware of them. The book ends with Barton encourage every one to make their political decision based on morals that they believe in. Facts are great but get a better editor next time.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should have investigated first.

I’m disappointed that I didn’t check out the author’s reputation before buying this. Regardless of how this book reads, it is a well known fact, though unknown to me, that this author has little credibility with legitimate historians. If there is reason to doubt the accuracy of the history we’ve grown up with, and we are searching for the truth, it is especially important to be able to trust an author’s reputation. This person has a known agenda, and little authority on the subject. Before devoting any more time to this book, I will try to find an expert in the field. I’m after the truth, whatever it looks like.

[Juline]

Grew up in Detroit. Lived through the civil rights era and riots and all. WHERE WAS THIS HISTORY???? I can't believe that the vast majority of this history was completely knew to me!!! Great book that gives some perspective.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was so much history in this book that I had never learned from any of my history of America classes. It is a great and easy read and makes one a little frustrated at how those in power have tried to erase our great American heritage.

[Sami · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, it's so amazing to learn about what isn't in the text books. Some of this stuff is crazy!!! It's good to know someone out there is willing to put the time and effort in finding all this information and giving it too us.

[Noelle Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing what you don't learn in school - absolutely amazing...

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

so educational...must read.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that after all the bad things the democrats have done with civil rights. They claim to to be a friend to minroities.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a conservative, but found on the whole the book is based on facts that can be backed up.

[Lara Lazenby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outraged that I was never taught this stuff in school. Everyone needs to read this book.