I retired from teaching US History a little more than seven years ago. When I taught US/VA history to 11th graders in Prince William County, VA, the state-prescribed standards of learning (SOL) defined certain key themes, such as the genius of Madison’s constitutional construct (bicameral legislature, separation of powers, checks and balances, etc.); the struggle to make the lofty principles of the Declaration of Independence apply to more and more people; the democratic struggle against totalitarianism and the triumph of the western alliance; the Supreme Court’s role in expanding the rights of the disadvantaged; and the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century, among many other things.
The SOL didn’t ignore the unpleasant parts of US history but on the whole it was a positive story and a story of continuing progress. I didn’t have any trouble teaching that material because in my experience it was a valid framework to tell our national story.
Now, only seven years after I retired, it’s as if that curriculum describes a different country. When I page through the photo history books I prepared for my students, it amazes me how much of what I wrote about starting only 14 years ago is now obsolete and how quickly it happened. In hindsight, there were already worrying signs by 2008, when I started the book, but most of this happened recently.
Let’s be clear; this isn’t “Lies My teacher told Me;” I’m not saying we were teaching a false understanding. Nor is this about Critical Race theory and other rules saying “you can’t teach that here.”
No, what I’m saying is far worse. I’m saying there are things we used to be able to say truthfully about US History that aren’t true any longer. Wait, you’re probably saying; this is the past, you can’t change the past. Well, I’d have said that too. Actually the list is so long that this will probably be a three-part series.
Declaration of Independence. One of the finest political documents ever written, the Declaration asserts that “all Men are created equal,’ and that they have “certain unalienable rights” including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” At the time it was written, these lofty ideals applied only to a tiny percentage of the population: white men over 21 who owned property. One central theme of US history as taught in a Virginia classroom of that era was the gradual expansion of these and other constitutional rights to ever more categories of people. However, the past decade has seen rollbacks of civil rights protection, re-segregation of the nation’s public schools, the near-repeal of the Voting Rights Act, and major erosions of the right to privacy and the rights of the accused.
Gerrymandering is increasingly sophisticated and results in situations where the candidates of one party can collectively win a statewide majority but wind up with only a third of the seats. Voter suppression measures (changing or reducing polling places, requirements for an ID that must be acquired at a hard-to-reach place, creation of long lines to vote in black precincts) have made it harder for blacks to vote.
Other erosions of civil rights include the Trump administration abandonment of police department consent decrees, Court decisions to approve gerrymandered districts, and recent court decisions that water down privacy protections.
The 2022 session of the Supreme Court saw the elimination of a woman’s right to an abortion, a major restriction on the rights of prisoners provided by the “Miranda” decision, and a broad hint that other rights based on the right to privacy (including gay marriage) are in jeopardy. This marked the first time the Court took away a longstanding Constitutional right that was relied on by millions of people.
The court has conducted a long-term assault on affirmative action and seems likely to eliminate the program entirely next year.
Mass incarceration has also hit black communities especially hard. Even after they are released, ex-convicts have a more difficult time finding a job and frequently are denied the right to vote.
George Washington, Father of his Country. Our first president justly earned the title “Father of his Country,” in part for his leadership during the Revolution and during the Constitutional Convention, but also in part for his actions during his presidency. He set the tradition of the two-term limit and peaceful transition of power, created the democratic trappings of office (“Mr. President” rather than “Your Highness,” for example) and created a standard of dignified presidential behavior. Forty-three later presidents carried on and expanded this dignified view of the president and even developed a presidential rhetoric. Such expressions as “By the eternal, the Union must and shall be preserved;” “of the people, by the people, for the people;” “with malice toward none, with charity for all;” “we have nothing to fear …. but fear itself;” “Yesterday, a day which will live in infamy …” Such expressions of presidential rhetoric are instantly recognizable even from a fragment: “Ask not what your country can do for you …” “… not because it is easy …” “Mr. Gorbachev …”; such expressions are serious and provide a dignified tone.
Such notions seem quaint after living through four years of a president who calls the opposition political party “traitors” and “scum;” calls the governor of a state currently suffering a major disaster “a snake;” openly feuds with our allies during international meetings; attacks the press on a regular basis; and attacks politicians of both parties, federal judges, civil servants, military officers, his own cabinet officers, athletes, and celebrities who criticize him or fail to carry out his demands.
And the fact that Trump is out of office in 2022 doesn’t change anything; he remains a leader in the Republican party and a possible choice for the presidency in 2024. And, the infection is now in the bloodstream. A generation of politicians bred on Trump’s boorishness is coming along. (Written by Leon Reed.)
********
This series is written to promote political discussion and organizing. Permission is given to use this in fact sheets, talking points, letters to the editor, etc. We’d appreciate if you notified Gettysburg DFA (leonsreed@gmail.com) of any uses.