Everything You've Been Taught is Wrong

by James W. Loewen

PORTABLE PROFESSOR TM is a series of exciting and informative lectures recorded by some of today's most renowned university and college professors. Each course introduces listeners to fascinating, and sometimes startling, insights into the intellectual forces that shape our understanding of the world. Each package includes 14 riveting lectures presented by notable professors as well as a book-length course guide.

The study of the past is supposed to help us make sense of our place in history and inform the choices we make every day. But what if the lessons we were taught in American History class were not true? In this eye-opening and provocative series of lectures, renowned historian James W. Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, unravels the fact from the fiction, the unvarnished truths from the convenient myths, and explains the reasons American history has so often been distorted.

COURSE LECTURES

Why Study the Past? Archaeology and Prehistory The Politics and History of Columbus Pilgrims Native American Societies and Cultures The Making and Use of the Constitution Slavery The Civil War The Civil War (Continued) and Reconstruction The Nadir of Race Relations The Nadir of Race Relations (Continued) United States Foreign Policy Capitalism and Social Class Doing History Yourself

James W. Loewen holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Harvard University and has been a lecturer on the subject of race relations for a quarter century. He is the author of numerous books, including Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong and the best-selling Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong, which won the American Book Award, the AESA Critics' Choice Award, and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Ant-Racist Scholarship, and upon which this course is based.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Education, Historical

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

A professor of sociology, James W. Loewen earned his bachelor's degree at Carleton College in 1964, and his master's (1967) and doctorate (1968) degrees from Harvard University. Loewen taught at Touglaloo College from 1968 until 1975, and at the University of Vermont from 1975 until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1995.

Reviews

[Christian Lipski · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent audio lecture about US history and how it has been changed, ignored, or outright lied about in our schools. Not a rabid speaker, Professor Loewen is passionate nonetheless about "good history" - history that accurately reflects events that took place (based on primary documents, etc). Among other topics, he points out how the vehement racism that arose after the defeat of the Recontruction still lingers today in our history texts, and affects the way we think about race relations. How the "$24 Manhattan" story continues to influence our opinion of the early residents of America. How the attitudes towards African Americans in the 1900s changed the information we were taught about Lincoln.

It's a fascinating look at the history we were all taught, and the actual facts that we weren't. I know I'm making it sound like a radical liberal knee-jerk sort of thing, but it's not. Loewen is very honest about what did and didn't happen, and tends to be impartial except when it comes to inaccurate history.

He's not looking to tear down our country's history - he's striving for accurate reporting of both the good AND the bad, so that we can learn from our past.

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lecture series by Loewen who is obviously smart, but at times doesn't provide the detailed explanation I was hoping for. Excellent nonetheless.

[Mscout · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great audio series and Loewen is absolutely engaging and entertaining. SOme will learn more than others, but everyone will enjoy it.

[Rachel Hanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and cheeky look at American history and the misconceptions that have been taught over time.