We've Been Telling the Alamo Story Wrong for Nearly 200 Years

[LennG]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/we-ve-been-telling-the-alamo-story-wrong-for-nearly-200-years-now-it-s-time-to-correct-the-record/ar-AAKSLsZ?ocid=msedgntp


Imagine if the U.S. were to open interior Alaska for colonization and, for whatever reason, thousands of Canadian settlers poured in, establishing their own towns, hockey rinks and Tim Hortons stores. When the U.S. insists they follow American laws and pay American taxes, they refuse. When the government tries to collect taxes, they shoot and kill American soldiers. When law enforcement goes after the killers, the colonists, backed by Canadian financing and mercenaries, take up arms in open revolt.
As an American, how would you feel? Now you can imagine how Mexican President Jose Lopez de Santa Anna would have felt in 1835, because that

[MightyGiants]

What I find interesting and a bit troubling is that Texas law requires that the schools teach all children the false version of history

[Bob In PA]

What I find interesting and a bit troubling is that Texas law requires that the schools teach all children the false version of history

Rich: What I find interesting is the timing of the article. Teaching false versions of history is neither unique to the Alamo story nor is it the only issue involving teaching false versions of history... if you catch my drift.  Bob

[MightyGiants]

Rich: What I find interesting is the timing of the article. Teaching false versions of history is neither unique to the Alamo story nor is it the only issue involving teaching false versions of history... if you catch my drift.  Bob

As a history buff (with military history being my favorite) I consider what I was taught as a kid growing up with what I know now, I would say the biggest issues would be omissions rather than misinformation.   That said, I will say there were some common historic myths that likely slipped into my curriculum

[Bob In PA]

As a history buff (with military history being my favorite) I consider what I was taught as a kid growing up with what I know now, I would say the biggest issues would be omissions rather than misinformation.   That said, I will say there were some common historic myths that likely slipped into my curriculum

Rich: That's a very fair point, and the fact that you made it clearly demonstrates to me that you are serious about history.  The more expertise a person has in a given area, the easier it is to see both sides of issues.

I'm no history buff at all. I know some stuff, and have a few views on specific matters, but I lean very heavily toward reading and weighing the views of others... a lot more than I'm apt to do in different areas.

My sole remark about your point is... it's almost always best to have "too much" information and unfair to withhold minority viewpoints; however, it's unacceptable to intentionally propound provably false information.

Bob

[MightyGiants]

Rich: That's a very fair point, and the fact that you made it clearly demonstrates to me that you are serious about history.  The more expertise a person has in a given area, the easier it is to see both sides of issues.

I'm no history buff at all. I know some stuff, and have a few views on specific matters, but I lean very heavily toward reading and weighing the views of others... a lot more than I'm apt to do in different areas.

My sole remark about your point is... it's almost always best to have "too much" information and unfair to withhold minority viewpoints; however, it's unacceptable to intentionally propound provably false information.

Bob

To the extent possible, I think history should stay away from adding opinion.  In this example, the Alamo, the Texas law requires teachers to characterize the defenders of the Alamo as "heroic".   That isn't a historical fact, that is a historical opinion.  I am in favor of teaching the facts and letting the kids decide for themselves how to view that history. 

[LennG]

It is similar to what I meant posted about Dunkirk. The British, in particular, Churchill made it out to be a huge victory for Britain and the allies. In a way, since they got over 300,00 men off a beach and to safety, you can spin it that way, but overall, the entire operation was a complete and utter disaster.

So, as was said, only the British could spin a disaster and make it look heroic and then teach that in school.

[LennG]

Another prime example is Custer's Last Stand. To this s day, most people think old Custer was so heroic even by losing his life and the lives of his entire regiment when in reality, he was a stupid man, who only thought about his own glory. He basically killed over 200 men and they did not die heroically, they were basically wiped out in 10 minutes and Custer didn't stand there daring the Indians to kill him. All Hollywood and media bull crap.
In reality, Custer was an ass and should have been court-martialed for that action.

[MightyGiants]

Another prime example is Custer's Last Stand. To this s day, most people think old Custer was so heroic even by losing his life and the lives of his entire regiment when in reality, he was a stupid man, who only thought about his own glory. He basically killed over 200 men and they did not die heroically, they were basically wiped out in 10 minutes and Custer didn't stand there daring the Indians to kill him. All Hollywood and media bull crap.
In reality, Custer was an ass and should have been court-martialed for that action.

An excellent example

[jimv]

GREAT discussion!  I love history too.  And I hate to use movies all the time.  But there's a movie (Lenny, you know it.) where the editor of a western paper says:

WHEN THE LEGEND BECOMES FACT, PRINT THE LEGEND.

It fits this discussion perfectly.