Important Topics in US History

History is more complicated than simply a list of achievements or failures. Even the meaning of the word “triumph” is subjective, as one person’s achievement may be another person or group’s loss or failure. Traditionally, however, history has largely been written by the victors, giving them the greatest influence on the interpretation of events. For this reason, I think it is necessary that professors uncover narratives that are often untold in order to present a more holistic view. Presenting both failures and successes help to illuminate history and develop the critical thinking that students need to ultimately form their own judgments.

I believe the three most important topics to study in US history up to Reconstruction are: an examination of American political ideals as exemplified in the documents written by the founding fathers; contact with Native people; and the institution of slavery.

Together the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence provide the blueprint of the United States. They define the country’s political structure, form the foundation of laws and guarantee the rights of individual citizens. Therefore, an understanding of these charters is essential to the study of our country’s history. Though the United States has not always adhered to the ideals stated in these documents, citizens who understand these documents can both protect their rights and become active participants in refining these documents where they find contradiction.

The most quoted part of the Declaration of Independence is the statement on human rights: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are L...

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... an expansion of slavery into new territories.

The powerful resistance to slavery is an essential aspect of slavery for students to study. White abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe and John Brown fought for the immediate end to slavery. While perhaps Harriet Tubman and Nat Turner led the most dramatic acts of resistance, all slaves practiced various meaningful forms of resistance, from religion to running away. Slaves were not simply passive victims, but exhibited incredible courage in the face of intense oppression.

To understand the struggle of the myriad of groups that have contributed to the formation of this country, we need to learn more than just triumphs. Only by shining a light on all areas of history, good and bad, will we be able to learn from the past and accurately assess our current situation and what has shaped the world in which we live.