Historians Find Major Errors In Virginia History Textbooks

[one...two...tree 2,762]

David Taintor

Surprise, surprise, historians have found glaring errors in a textbook claiming that African Americans fought in large numbers for the South during the Civil War.

A number of additional errors have been found in other textbooks being used in some Virginia classrooms, since the state ordered a review of the books, the Washington Post reports.

Among the textbooks' errors are claims that the Confederacy included 12 states and the U.S. entered World War I in 1916. Five professional scholars reviewed the books, with three of them finding "disturbing" results. State officials are scheduled to meet January 10 to review the results.

"I absolutely could not believe the number of mistakes -- wrong dates and wrong facts everywhere. How in the world did these books get approved?" said Ronald Heinemann, a former history professor at Hampden-Sydney College who reviewed "Our Virginia: Past and Present." The other book mentioned in the report was "Our America: To 1865."

Heinemann added that the book "should be withdrawn from the classroom immediately, or at least by the end of the year."

Five Ponds Press, a small publisher in Connecticut, is responsible for the books in question. The Post reports that the publisher e-mailed to say the "historians' critiques," as the Post put it, will be included in the books' next printing.

The Post first reported the errors back in October. The author, Joy Masoff, defended her work, telling the Post, "As controversial as it is, I stand by what I write. I am a fairly respected writer." But when it came to one of the Civil War's most controversial themes -- the role of African Americans in the Confederacy -- she relied primarily on an Internet search, according to the report. And the results were based on the work of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a neo-confederate group based in Tennessee.

Masoff's other literary achievements include "Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty" and "Oh Yikes! History's Grossest Moments."

Virginia's Department of Education requires textbooks to fulfill certain "Standards of Learning" goals, including making sure history standards provide "a basic knowledge of American culture through a chronological survey of major issues, movements, peoples, and events in the United States and Virginia history."

The state's Standards of Learning disqualifies many textbooks produced for a national market from being used, leaving Five Ponds Press in a unique position of providing several books for the state. Five Ponds' books are reportedly less expensive than its competitors, too.

http://tpmmuckraker....tbo.php?ref=fpb

[lostinblue 1,989]

Only a few hours will be spent on this subject so why worry about it. The new history model is gay history correct....

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/286837-including-gay-history-in-textbooks-will-help-fight-bullying-california-senator-says/

Gay history in textbooks...90% of the school year can be spent on this not that old 100-200 year old stuff

[_Simpson_ 250]

Another inaccuracy is where it states that Obama is the first black president when clearly we know that it was Clinton.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Another inaccuracy is where it states that Obama is the first black president when clearly we know that it was Clinton.

Hell even in "life experience" Clinton is a lot more "black" than Obama is...

[_Simpson_ 250]

Hell even in "life experience" Clinton is a lot more "black" than Obama is...

Ah yes very true.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Let the douche off begin......

[Dan and Judy 614]

David Taintor

Surprise, surprise, historians have found glaring errors in a textbook claiming that African Americans fought in large numbers for the South during the Civil War.

A number of additional errors have been found in other textbooks being used in some Virginia classrooms, since the state ordered a review of the books, the Washington Post reports.

Among the textbooks' errors are claims that the Confederacy included 12 states and the U.S. entered World War I in 1916. Five professional scholars reviewed the books, with three of them finding "disturbing" results. State officials are scheduled to meet January 10 to review the results.

"I absolutely could not believe the number of mistakes -- wrong dates and wrong facts everywhere. How in the world did these books get approved?" said Ronald Heinemann, a former history professor at Hampden-Sydney College who reviewed "Our Virginia: Past and Present." The other book mentioned in the report was "Our America: To 1865."

Heinemann added that the book "should be withdrawn from the classroom immediately, or at least by the end of the year."

Five Ponds Press, a small publisher in Connecticut, is responsible for the books in question. The Post reports that the publisher e-mailed to say the "historians' critiques," as the Post put it, will be included in the books' next printing.

The Post first reported the errors back in October. The author, Joy Masoff, defended her work, telling the Post, "As controversial as it is, I stand by what I write. I am a fairly respected writer." But when it came to one of the Civil War's most controversial themes -- the role of African Americans in the Confederacy -- she relied primarily on an Internet search, according to the report. And the results were based on the work of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a neo-confederate group based in Tennessee.

Masoff's other literary achievements include "Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty" and "Oh Yikes! History's Grossest Moments."

Virginia's Department of Education requires textbooks to fulfill certain "Standards of Learning" goals, including making sure history standards provide "a basic knowledge of American culture through a chronological survey of major issues, movements, peoples, and events in the United States and Virginia history."

The state's Standards of Learning disqualifies many textbooks produced for a national market from being used, leaving Five Ponds Press in a unique position of providing several books for the state. Five Ponds' books are reportedly less expensive than its competitors, too.

http://tpmmuckraker....tbo.php?ref=fpb

　　

　

Confederate States

in the

American Civil War

South Carolina

Mississippi

Florida

Alabama

Georgia

Louisiana

Texas

Virginia

Arkansas

North Carolina

Tennessee

Dual governments

Kentucky

Missouri

Border states

Delaware

Maryland

West Virginia

Territories

Oklahoma

Arizona

Seven states declared their secession from the United States before Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861:

South Carolina (December 20, 1860)[28]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-28"[29]

Mississippi (January 9, 1861)[30]

Florida (January 10, 1861)[31]

Alabama (January 11, 1861)[32]

Georgia (January 19, 1861)[33]

Louisiana (January 26, 1861)[34]

Texas (February 1, 1861)[35]

After the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter April 12, 1861, and Lincoln's subsequent call for troops on April 15, four more states declared their secession:[36]

Virginia (April 17, 1861; ratified by voters May 23, 1861)[37]

Arkansas (May 6, 1861)[38]

Tennessee (May 7, 1861; ratified by voters June 8, 1861)[39]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-39"[40]

North Carolina (May 20, 1861)[41]

The border states of Kentucky and Missouri declared neutrality very early in the war. In Kentucky, the state gradually came to side with the north; however, a second government (pro-Confederate) emerged in some southern counties (much like the situation in the counties that would become West Virginia) although its control in those regions did not last very long. A more complex situation surrounds the Missouri Secession.

In Missouri, a remnant of the General Assembly met on October 31, 1861, and although lacking a quorum in either house, passed an ordinance of secession.[42]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-42"[43] However, this occurred after a standing constitutional convention declared the legislature and governor void after Federal troops marched on and took over the capital. Missouri was exempted from the Emancipation Proclamation that outlawed slavery elsewhere since the Union already controlled most of it. Nevertheless, the standing State constitutional convention repealed slavery in Missouri before Federal constitutional amendments passed.

The Confederacy recognized the pro-Confederate claimants in both Kentucky and Missouri and laid claim to those states based on their authority, with representatives from both states seated in the Confederate Congress. Later versions of Confederate flags had thirteen stars, reflecting the Confederacy's claims to Kentucky and Missouri.

On April 27, 1861 President Lincoln, in response to the destruction of railroad bridges and telegraph lines by southern sympathizers in Maryland (surrounding Washington, D.C., on three sides), authorized General Scott to suspend the writ of habeas corpus along the railroad line from Philadelphia to Baltimore to Washington.[44]

Delaware, also a slave state, never considered secession, nor did Washington, D.C., Although the slave states of Maryland and Delaware did not secede, citizens from those states did exhibit divided loyalties. Only Delaware among the slave states did not produce a full regiment to fight for the Confederacy. Delaware achieved the distinction of providing more soldiers by percentage than any other state, and overwhelmingly they fought for the Union.

In 1861, a Unionist legislature in Wheeling, Virginia seceded from Virginia, eventually claiming 50 counties for a new state. However, 24 of those counties had voted in favor of Virginia's secession, and control of these counties, as well as some counties that had voted against secession, remained contested until the end of the war.[45] West Virginia joined the United States in 1863 with a constitution that gradually abolished slavery. According to military historian Russell F. Weigley, "Most of West Virginia went through the Civil War not as an asset to the Union but as a troublesome battleground..."[46]

Confederate declarations of martial law checked attempts to secede from the Confederate States of America by some counties in East Tennessee.[47]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-47"[48

Perhaps some of it is a matter of opinion, A good general rule is the victors get to write the history books.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

One baiting post introducing totally unrelated issues has been removed. Discuss the issues raised in the post, people - don't go after the poster and try to 'bait' for a reaction.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

According to military historian Russell F. Weigley, "Most of West Virginia went through the Civil War not as an asset to the Union but as a troublesome battleground..."

I spent some time at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. I can tell you that the more significant battles were fought in Virgina proper, and close enough for spectators from D.C. to watch from a safe distance. Virgina is an interesting place to walk the Civil War battlefields, especially Manassas.

Edited January 1, 2011 by Some Old Guy

[The_Dude 1,142]

I spent some time at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. I can tell you that the more significant battles were fought in Virgina proper, and close enough for spectators from D.C. to watch from a safe distance. Virgina is an interesting place to walk the Civil War battlefields, especially Manassas.

You were in the Civil War Bill? Damn, you are an old guy.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

You were in the Civil War Bill? Damn, you are an old guy.

Not quite that old. But, Virginia is an interesting place, none the less. I spend some time touring the underground as well. There are numerous caverns in the western part of the state.