In chapter one, Brundage deals with the stereotypes that others have toward the field of History. People do often look at history as a "static" unchanging narrative of facts and dates. I agree that this is largely do to how history has been taught previously in a bygone era in elementary schools. However, if one takes the time to look at the actual historical record and reads in between the lines, one can find a different narrative.
Although it is cliche, I believe that "history has been written by the winners" over the years. Columbus discovered America? The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock? Paul Revere's Ride? Ok, there are bits of truth in all those stories, but we all know that was not exactly what went down. We have been sold a convenient brand of history in the U.S. that offers a very European view of America and the world around us. However, this has happened in other places also. In the Dominican Republic under the infamous Dictator Trujillo people were sold a historical narrative that claimed the Dominican people descended from Spanish Conquistadores and Taino Indians only, completely ignoring their African heritage. In these cases, history has been dictated by political agenda and not an accurate historical account based on primary sources, but rather on myth and lies.
Has the American public been sold a government approved depiction of American history? Does this depiction exist today?
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