"1776" by David McCollough should be part of core curriculum in every US school

[CrusaderFrank]

The book "1776" should be read by every American student, it is a wonderful fascinating account of the Continental Army and the war effort in that year.

It was a ragtag, undisciplined Army, but an Army of Americans, inventive enough to give Henry Know the go ahead to bring 120,000 pound of cannons from Ft Ticonderoga across lakes and hills down to the Continental Army in Boston.

From soaring moments of victory of the surprise cou de grace of seizing and reinforcing Dorchester Heights in a single night, forcing the British to flee Boston to the humiliating defeats in NY to the surprise attack on Trenton.

It is not a fairy tale, it is a tale of misery, defeat, humiliation interspersed with moments of genius and victory. In short, it is the tale of every human being and I highly recommend it!

And, no, the Hessian were NOT dead drunk celebrating Christmas.

P.S. I grew up in Throgs Neck and one day my brother found a cannon ball in the back yard, its about the size of a baseball and our little heriloom of the British landing there in 1776.

 

[Xenophon]

I have no idea why they don't teach our history anymore.

It is rediculous that they want to forget an entire century and focus on minutia.

 

[editec]

I have no idea why they don't teach our history anymore.

It is rediculous that they want to forget an entire century and focus on minutia.

I blame Sputnik.

They don't because we've decided that understanding science and math is more important than understanding the humanities.

And let's face it.

There's lots more people who understand history well enough to teach it (even at the college level) , than there are billets to support historians.

 

[uscitizen]

Man that is even more ancient than the Bush presidency, and no one seems to want to remember that.

 

[Xenophon]

I have no idea why they don't teach our history anymore.

It is rediculous that they want to forget an entire century and focus on minutia.

I blame Sputnik.

They don't because we've decided that understanding science and math is more important than understanding the humanities.

And let's face it.

There's lots more people who understand history well enough to teach it (even at the college level) , than there are billets to support historians.

They don't understand science or math any better then they do history.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Interesting, from page 140

"We are in very comfortable cantonments amongst a loyal and liberal people, who produce (supply) us in plenty..." wrote one British officer from NY

 

[editec]

I have no idea why they don't teach our history anymore.

It is rediculous that they want to forget an entire century and focus on minutia.

I blame Sputnik.

They don't because we've decided that understanding science and math is more important than understanding the humanities.

And let's face it.

There's lots more people who understand history well enough to teach it (even at the college level) , than there are billets to support historians.

They don't understand science or math any better then they do history.

I didn't suggest that it was good plan, I just mention the obvious.

When you see where money is going, take Federal grants for edcuation, what you see is overwhelming support for math and science (more science than math) and damned little for the humanities.

Math and science are important, of course.

They help make us rich.

The humanities, OTOH inform us what to do with that affluence, how to divide power, how to create a society people WANT to live in, too

Sadly we're now dealing with a society which has forgotten who it used to be and why.

It is not the job of science and math majors to run society.

Sadly now, they do.

And they suck at it.

Wanna know why?

They don't know history and they don't understand literature.

Those teach you how to be a better human and how to be a good citizen.

What they don't teach you is this

GREED IS GOOD.

In fact what both of those diciplines teach you is that anybody, or worse, any society which believes that LIE is doomed to an unhappy outcome.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Children no longer get taught History at all. From 1st grade to 8th no history is taught. It is Social Studies. All High School requires is ONE history class, usually American History.

When I was in grade school we got taught US History and State History, in High School we got World History.

When I went to college I made sure to take History classes. I love History.

 

[uscitizen]

Interesting, from page 140

"We are in very comfortable cantonments amongst a loyal and liberal people, who produce (supply) us in plenty..." wrote one British officer from NY

The British were Republicans?

I guess that makes sense, the Tories were conservatives.

 

[Xenophon]

I blame Sputnik.

They don't because we've decided that understanding science and math is more important than understanding the humanities.

And let's face it.

There's lots more people who understand history well enough to teach it (even at the college level) , than there are billets to support historians.

They don't understand science or math any better then they do history.

I didn't suggest that it was good plan, I just mention the obvious.

When you see where money is going, take Federal grants for edcuation, what you see is overwhelming support for math and science (more science than math) and damned little for the humanities.

Math and science are important, of course.

They help make us rich.

The humanities, OTOH inform us what to do with that affluence, how to divide power, how to create a society people WANT to live in, too

Sadly we're now dealing with a society which has forgotten who it used to be and why.

It is not the job of science and math majors to run society.

Sadly now, they do.

And they suck at it.

Wanna know why?

They don't know history and they don't understand literature.

Those teach you how to be a better human and how to be a good citizen.

What they don't teach you is this

GREED IS GOOD.

In fact what both of those diciplines teach you is that anybody, or worse, any society which believes that LIE is doomed to an unhappy outcome.

Very good.

 

[rightwinger]

Interesting, from page 140

"We are in very comfortable cantonments amongst a loyal and liberal people, who produce (supply) us in plenty..." wrote one British officer from NY

The conservatives of the day remained loyal to King George.

The patriots were as liberal as they come. The idea of "all men are created equal" was as liberal as it comes for the times.

 

[kwc57]

Children no longer get taught History at all. From 1st grade to 8th no history is taught. It is Social Studies. All High School requires is ONE history class, usually American History.

When I was in grade school we got taught US History and State History, in High School we got World History.

When I went to college I made sure to take History classes. I love History.

Not true. High school graduation requirements vary by state. My son is a junior in high school and I can assure you that history requirements are equal to any of the other categories.

http://www.hps.k12.ok.us/HSGradReqs.pdf

State Graduation Requirements

3 Units Social Studies: 1 United States History, 1/2 to 1 United States Government, 1/2 Oklahoma History, and 1/2 to 1 which may include, but are not limited to:! World History, Geography, Economics, Anthropology, or other social studies courses with content and/or rigor equal to or above United States History, United States Government, and Oklahoma History.

College Preparatory Curriculum Requirements

3 Units History and Citizenship Skills, including 1 U.S. History, and 2 units from the subjects of History, Government, Geography, Economics, Civics, or Non-Western Culture.

 

[JW Frogen]

The conservatives of the day remained loyal to King George.

The patriots were as liberal as they come. The idea of "all men are created equal" was as liberal as it comes for the times.

It depends on what one wants to conserve and what one wants to change.

You are right, the American revolution was asserting radical new ideas born of the Enlightenment, the most intriguing to me is Jefferson's edit of Locke asserting we have a right to pursue happiness. That is a very radical idea. Probably derived from his reading of Epicurious. (The cheese loving curious.)

But some times it is better to conserve, such as that very right when other radicals want to take it away.

My guide here is Burke, who supported the American Revolution as advancing the rights of humanity while wisely opposing the French Revolution, forecasting it would all end in tears and tyranny.

To my mind wise leadership is a balance, knowing when to change and when to protect.

 

[Kalam]

I have no idea why they don't teach our history anymore.

They do, at least where I grew up. Every single year from elementary school through junior year of high school.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

LOL

Modern Libruls are handing their health proxy AND DNA to the government but they keep insisting that they view is closest to that of our Founding Fathers

If I laugh any harder I'll hurt myself.

Yeah, you guys are revolutionary but only in finding new way to put the government in charge of even now your very life and death and you do it willingly and gleefully...

Fucking retards.

 

[kwc57]

LOL

Modern Libruls are handing their health proxy AND DNA to the government but they keep insisting that they view is closest to that of our Founding Fathers

If I laugh any harder I'll hurt myself.

Yeah, you guys are revolutionary but only in finding new way to put the government in charge of even now your very life and death and you do it willingly and gleefully...

Fucking retards.

Reminds one of how many "conservatives" were willing to hand over their privacy to the government for a little "security" doesn't it.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

LOL

Modern Libruls are handing their health proxy AND DNA to the government but they keep insisting that they view is closest to that of our Founding Fathers

If I laugh any harder I'll hurt myself.

Yeah, you guys are revolutionary but only in finding new way to put the government in charge of even now your very life and death and you do it willingly and gleefully...

Fucking retards.

Reminds one of how many "conservatives" were willing to hand over their privacy to the government for a little "security" doesn't it.

How is listening to someone on a satphone in a cave in Pashtun "surrendering my privacy"?

 

[kwc57]

LOL

Modern Libruls are handing their health proxy AND DNA to the government but they keep insisting that they view is closest to that of our Founding Fathers

If I laugh any harder I'll hurt myself.

Yeah, you guys are revolutionary but only in finding new way to put the government in charge of even now your very life and death and you do it willingly and gleefully...

Fucking retards.

Reminds one of how many "conservatives" were willing to hand over their privacy to the government for a little "security" doesn't it.

How is listening to someone on a satphone in a cave in Pashtun "surrendering my privacy"?

Because they were listening to your calls in the good old US of A too.......just in case you were making any calls to a cave.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Reminds one of how many "conservatives" were willing to hand over their privacy to the government for a little "security" doesn't it.

How is listening to someone on a satphone in a cave in Pashtun "surrendering my privacy"?

Because they were listening to your calls in the good old US of A too.......just in case you were making any calls to a cave.

Did Rip Van Winkle wake you with his snoring? The Gubbamint has been monitoring e-traffic since Echelon and Carnivore.

In any event, if you're making a call to a satphone in a cave in Pashtun you should be watched closely.

 

[kwc57]

How is listening to someone on a satphone in a cave in Pashtun "surrendering my privacy"?

Because they were listening to your calls in the good old US of A too.......just in case you were making any calls to a cave.

Did Rip Van Winkle wake you with his snoring? The Gubbamint has been monitoring e-traffic since Echelon and Carnivore.

In any event, if you're making a call to a satphone in a cave in Pashtun you should be watched closely.

So a nanny state makes Frank sleep better at night. Duly noted.