American history reveals the full history of the United States, allowing society to examine its flaws, struggles and inequalities. According to many Warren Central teachers, teaching the history of what used to be the United States is essential for students because it will allow the current and future generations to make changes that don’t repeat history and let America live up to its name, where all are free and equal as humans. When certain U.S. events that occurred then don’t get talked about, or certain parts of the story are changed to make it seem less dire than how it was originally told, students and teachers alike believe that the realistic question of why it happened can’t be answered.
Some news outlets tend to change parts of U.S. history or change the narrative of an event to make it appear not as big as it sounds or to portray past political figures in a positive light. Another reason some news outlets change parts of history is to adapt to their own political views that benefit them and the business they work for, or some political figures pay news outlets to change their views on history to benefit their campaign.
“Sometimes, U.S. history is changed because it makes certain power groups, corporations and parts of the country look bad,” U.S. history teacher Randy Hudgins said. “Other times it's taking people’s prejudices and making them seem normal and sometimes it's to cover up bad things that happened in the past.”
Students learn American history so they can understand the foundations of modern U.S. society, the government and culture. In doing so, students can be encouraged to use critical thinking skills and make informed decisions. However, if historical events that occurred are not mentioned or taught, the background needed to understand current events and analyze past mistakes can potentially cause students to lose critical thinking skills and fail to learn from their mistakes.
“When we are not given the full truth of the past, we are setting ourselves back,” senior Virginia Walthers said. “All of the mistakes we already learned from older generations will be repeated over and over again until the truth of our past is brought to light."
Although it can be difficult for some teachers to discuss certain historical events because they contain uncomfortable and sensitive information, students enjoy learning about them because they can get a better understanding of those societal issues so that they’re more knowledgeable about past mistakes in the country.
“I feel it’s really important because everything that students experience now in their current times is affected by history,” social studies teacher Candace Winfrey said. “It’s crucial for them to learn, especially since there’s such an effort to limit the types of history that are taught and learned by students.”