When I signed up for AP US History, I thought I would be learning more than the average high school student. I was very wrong. American history classes are still keeping students ignorant about serious events that took place in the New World. In Ronald Takaki’s A Different Mirror, the truth about Thomas Jefferson wanting to bring about the demise of the Indians is brought forth. I had no idea Thomas Jefferson blamed the decline of the Indians on the Indians, he defended the stealing of Indian land, and he made strategic plans to destroy the Indians' livelihood. How can I take Thomas Jefferson seriously when he couldn’t even live by the words he wrote in the Declaration of Independence or when he told the Kaskaskias that “whites and Indians were both ‘Americans, born in the same land,’” (Takaki, 45)? Not to mention the poisoning of the Indians with wine? When I read this, I felt like my AP US History book only covered the basics and left out parts that were too compromising for the “Master Narrative”.
Sarah, This is just the beginning on Thomas Jefferson. One of your classmates (who?) wrote about Columbus in a way that might be useful. But, I can not find it! Can anyone identify the post I'm referring to? LDL
ReplyDeleteIt is from Julia: http://juliaamcon.blogspot.com/2010/09/double-edged-sword.html
ReplyDeleteShe concludes "Our best qualities which are virtuous and give us moral guidance can also lead us astray if we do not consider the consequences of pursuing such things as greed."
Check out the whole post!