Not Written in Stone - 9781595581440

In this compelling and utterly fresh look at American history, historian Kyle Ward shows how U.S. textbooks from different eras over the past two hundred years have described the same historical events in completely different ways. An adaptation of his acclaimed History in the Making, Not Written in Stone gives us an abridged and annotated version specifically designed for classroom use.

Included are many of the greatest hits of U.S. history, from accounts of Columbus's first voyage and the Salem witch trials to the Boston Massacre, experiences of African American soldiers during the Civil War, and the Philippine American War. Each Chapter includes a short introduction and discussion questions, along with excerpts from U.S. textbooks that span the life of the nation. When juxtaposed, these excerpts reveal the shifting biases, politics, and cultural preferences both in our understanding of our own history and in what we teach our children about the past. Not Written in Stone is a provocative and deeply engaging new teaching tool, destined to become an essential touchstone of classroom teaching about the American past.

"For this fascinating history of history... [Ward] examined scores of textbooks published between 1794 and 1999...uncovering startling discrepancies in writers' versions of everything from slavery to Vietnam."---Publishers Weekly

"This thought-provoking study is ideal for history buffs and the general public; for public libraries and teachers' college collections."---Library Journal

"[Ward] convincingly illustrates how [U.S. history] texts change as social and political attitudes evolve."---Booklist