History Begins with TR

I tell my students at NWACC each year this story from my master's degree days at Northeast Louisiana. Two polar opposites fenced with each other over the nature of History. Dr. England (ironically, the staff UK expert) was a medievalist, and would scoff at Dr. Haynes, the head of the department and the 20th century America lead.

There's not enough time and perspective to consider anything in history in the 20th century. Dr. England's claim was "anything after Theodore Roosevelt was just journalism." Haynes would retort that American history began with TR and anything before him "was simply archeology." It was a collegial battle, but not too serious.

Apparently, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction may agree with Haynes in an extreme degree. It's been all over the internet as the new proposal to change American history instruction in NC high schools to put the emphasis on what we'd call US II -- everything from 1877 to the present.

The educationists say not to worry, all the history before 1877 for high school juniors would be taken care of in the earlier grades.

Um. Let me see if I get that. The fine points of the Constitutional period. The rise of Jacksonian Democracy. The Dred Scott ruling, the 1850s and the Civil War. Not really sure that's appropriate material to be soaked in by 7th graders, and retained in the way necessary to give the type of perspective needed for juniors to reflect.

To my ear, it seems like some serious capital-H History is underway. The difference between history and History is the interpreter's perspective; often inflicted upon the details of the past to change a history into something much more palatable to the present.

Seems the Tar Heels got turned around for now. For now. The Department of Instruction says the change "will not be a part of that second draft" of the plan.

Here's to hoping it won't be in the final plan, either.

A nice editorial that covers the points from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, but it is behind the pay wall.