History cannot be taught as facts, amirite?

An event that happened is a fact. Multiple perspectives can be true at the same time. It's a frame of reference

by Artschinner 4 hours ago

This is not always so straight for ward. Facts are just things supported by large amounts of evidence. We know the US declared war on Japan in 1941 because there is copious evidence of it. But some events that we don't have as good of records of we don't necessarily know the facts.

by Anonymous 3 hours ago

By the same notion what makes that the facts. Stating something like "declaration of war" specifically. How many times in the last few years have we declared "war" on things without a formal document? Is there a war on drugs? Are we at war in the Middle East? And even for the 1941 statement, were we just sitting at home watching prior to then or were we "at war". Evidence is just perspective as well.

by Anonymous 3 hours ago

Basic facts are often uninteresting. Why the US officially declared war in 1941 and never since isn't a simple question but a much more interesting one

by Anonymous 3 hours ago

I think what the OP means is that we're not as sure as we say and much of history is cannibalized to fit into textbooks.

by Particular-Weight240 3 hours ago

Do you mean canonized?

by Anonymous 2 hours ago

Saying Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the US is a fact. Saying Lincoln was a great President is an opinion. Do you understand the difference?

by Anonymous 2 hours ago

How about an example of what you mean?

by Ystracke 2 hours ago

There's just no way to know what is truth, what is a lie and what is opportunistic fabrication.

by Anonymous 2 hours ago

Still extremely important to teach

by ceasarlowe 1 hour ago

Science and mathematics are incredibly important. History is the issue.

by Anonymous 1 hour ago

Historian here: You wouldn't believe how much we have to cannibalize all the stuff we want to tell in order to fit all history into two classes that high schoolers can take. There's a ton of slightly obscure facts because while they're fairly well documented they're left out of school textbooks because they were overshadowed by other events. I met an Irishman that was unaware of the Korean War, for instance.

by Particular-Weight240 1 hour ago

I mean history at age 14 and above is kinda taught as interpretation anyway, at least in the UK. Early school years is taught from a basic fact perspective (Henry 8 had 6 wives, Romans came to England and ww2), but once you hit the years where you start taking history exams it is more like: "Here's the information on this era from multiple perspectives, what do these people think, what does this drawing convey, why could x have directly led to x" and if you continue to study it gets more and more interpretation based.

by Anonymous 48 minutes ago

If you want proof of this just look at how public schools teach kids about the medieval period

by Key-Taro 30 minutes ago

👌

by Laurencequitzon 12 minutes ago