Education and history are our countries greatest assets. I grew up with what I thought was a very good education. I wasn't a poor kid by any means and I thought that the education I was receiving was top notch at the time.
What I didn't realize was the History I was being taught was incomplete, many times biased and often times just plain wrong. I have always had a deep curiosity for this countries history. I am a former teacher myself and I am ashamed to say that even I taught our American History to my students incorrectly. I didn't know it at the time because I was following my schools mandated curriculum and the assigned textbooks. Basically, I taught what was given to me and did what my department heads told me to do. Eventually, I grew tired of towing the Party line and decided that our educational system was not for me. It was at about that time that I decided to continue my education and do my own research. I decided that my research would contain ONLY the original documents and writings from our American History.
I decided to READ and STUDY our Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. I've read the Federalist Papers, Poor Richards Almanac, the writings of James Madison. Then, do you know what I did? I decided to compare it to what I was taught and what I was told to teach to my own student.
My conclusion? Much of what we know of our history has been re-written to fit into the Social and Political framework of the times and our society. How did that make me feel? Used, suckered and REALLY, REALLY, REALLY PISSED OFF! Here are just a few of the things that have pissed me off, which I will elaborate on in future posts:
1. Almost ALL of our Black Founding Fathers have been eliminated from our American History. Did you even know that there were black founding fathers?
2. How about that before the Revolutionary war there really wasn't any segregation between Blacks and Whites? Churches had mixed congregations and some even had Black Pastors and also that Blacks and Whites fought SIDE by SIDE on the battlefield for independence from Great Britain.
3. Did you know that our Constitution mandated an END to Slavery in the Year 1808 and that our National Holiday of Thanksgiving was supposed to be celebrated on January 1st starting in 1808 commemorating that same end to the institution of slavery?
4. Did you know that from the signing of our Constitution it was the Conservative North and then the Republicans that created ALL Civil Rights legislation for the Emancipation and equality of African Americans and that from 1834 to 1964 it was the Southern Democrats that either blocked ALL Civil Rights legislation or had it repealed?
These are just a very few things that have set my blood to boiling since I have started educating myself on this countries GREAT history. My future posts will pick individual topics that will help bring to light some of our forgotten or re-written history. I hope you enjoy some of my ramblings. It is with great pleasure that I write these words.
Sincerely,
George W.
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