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The Skeptic's Guide to American History
- Narrated by: Mark A. Stoler
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
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The Skeptic's Guide to American History
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Summary
To take a skeptical approach to American history is not to dabble in imaginative conspiracy theories; rather, it's to reframe your understanding of this great nation's past and actually strengthen your appreciation for what makes American history such a fascinating chapter in the larger story of Western civilization. And in this bold 24-lecture series, you can do just that.
Travel back in time and examine many commonly held myths and half-truths about American history and prompt yourself to think about what really happened in the nation's past - as opposed to what many believe happened. These lectures demonstrate how reconsidering some of the most popular notions of U.S. history can yield new (and sometimes startlingly different) interpretations of political, social, economic, and military events. But more than just debunking commonly accepted accounts, you'll be able to replace these misconceptions with insightful truths. Exploring both America's history and the verdicts that have been rendered about some of its most enduring figures - including George Washington, John Adams, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and many others - these lectures investigate a wide-ranging list of questions. What impact did other nations have on the American Revolution? Has George Washington always been revered as president? Do we now understand the true blunders in America's Vietnam policies and tactics?
In exploring these and other questions, these lectures prove themselves to be a delightful intellectual experience that will allow you to rethink not just the facts of U.S. history, but also their meaning.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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- Harry M.
- 14-08-22
Interesting ideas, hypocritical methodology
Professor Stoler's approach, unpacking historical 'myths' created by a filiopietistic education system, is in some ways refreshing. It starts strongly, debunking ideas that 'religious toleration' underpinned the United States, and continuing to challenge anachronistic thinking throughout. Concepts and movements like populism, capitalism and the Constitution are put within their historical contexts, rather than taken by present standards, and are introduced in a clear and understandable way.
His exhortation for all historians to be sceptics, however, falls short of its objectives around the middle sections on the Civil War. His attempt to put 'states' rights' centre stage and challenge the predominant ideas about the role of slavery in the conflict is not backed by convincing evidence. He takes a quotation from Lincoln extremely out of context, omitting the key phrase:
"and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that."
to reduce Lincoln's motivations to a simple binary. Furthermore, he does not address that motives of the Confederates was rooted in the "peculiar institution of African slavery [that was] the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution", according to Confederate vice president Stephens.
This selective presentation of evidence to 'debunk' a 'myth' raises questions about Prof. Stoler's own adherence to the values he claims to promote.
A further concern for non-US audiences is that at times Prof. Stoler assumes his audience has grown up within this American system and therefore can at times presume some knowledge that may make it difficult to use this series of lectures as a starting point for beginner audiences.
Finally, do not expect that the supplementary course PDF will enhance the lectures; it sticks so closely to the lectures that often even the same verbatim phrases appear in both.
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