Negationism is defined as, “the denial of historic crimes.” Revisionism is not the same as negationism but the two have been linked because both deal with the altering perspectives of a given topic. The two forms of conveying history are different, because revisionism focuses on exploring and informing the public on a different perspective of…
11. Going to the moon
Helen Goggins: Kennedy in Space
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Following the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik and astronaut Shepard, John F. Kennedy declared a united front of freedom, asserting American domination over their enemy. He delivered his address on May 25, 1961 to Congress, attempting to build support for legislation he was trying to enact. President Kennedy drew on American nationalism when he stated,…
10. Cold War and space program
Helen Goggins: Sputnik
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Diana Trilling’s article, “Dog-Lovers, Three Liberals and A Dixiecrat Flee Sputnik Reality”, dissects the relationship between Sputnik and the destruction of the peace of mind shared by many Americans. The article begins with the discussion of American protesters being consumed with the rights of the dog in the Sputnik satellite. Trilling notes that the…
09. Types of historiography
Helen Goggins: Japanese Internment
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After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were rounded up and forced into internment camps. David Tatsuno and his family were relocated to Topaz Internment Camp. They were removed from their homes and were not allowed to bring many personal items with them. Tatsuno was forced to give his camera away to a…
08. Rural electrification
Helen Goggins: Rural Electrification and the Tennessee Valley Authority
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Arthur Schlesinger Jr. discussed the evolution of rural electrification in the United States during the early 1930’s in his book, The Politics of Upheaval. Schlesinger Jr. argued the positive and negative views revolving around the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The TVA, created in 1933, fell under the Public Works Administration and part of New Deal…
07. Different national perspectives
Helen Goggins: Richard Nixon and the War on Drugs
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Richard Nixon declared a “War on Drugs” in July of 1971 due to the increasing amount of servicemen in Vietnam being discharged due to their drug addictions. James Reston discussed Nixon’s stance on the drug issue describing it as the, “Tragic realities of the troops”. The issue revolved around men getting addicted to narcotics in…
06. War of 1812
Helen Goggins: Views of 1812
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Steve Paikin discusses the outcome of the war of 1812 with three experts on his television program, “The Agenda with Steve Paikin”. He invited Peter MacLeod, a pre-confederate historian from Canada; Bill Fowler, a history professor at Northeastern University; and Rick Hill, an aboriginal representative. All three historians provide alternative narratives of the War…
05. Women and household technology
Helen Goggins: Women in Technology
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The second half of Ruth Schwartz Cowan’s article, “From Virginia Dare to Virginia Slims: Women and Technology in American Life”, dissects women’s interaction with technology throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Cowan focuses on the way in which society conceived of women as homemakers and as antitechnocrats. While technology transformed the way housework was…
04. What is revisionism?
Helen Goggins: “How Revisionist History Works”
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Cristen Conger’s article, “How Revisionist History Works”, argues the current status of revisionism as a form of history and its current role in society. Revisionism is a way of revising history and fixing misconceptions and falsified information within historical narratives. Conger dissects the legend of George Washington and the cherry tree, she quickly debunks…
03. Decision to use the atomic bomb: Alternative interpretations
Helen Goggins: Atomic Bomb Relativists and Traditionalists
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Samuel Walker dissects the traditionalist and relativist views associated with Truman’s use of atomic bombs to attack Japan in the summer of 1945. Before focusing his research on atomic bombs, Walker worked at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as an historian and frequently received questions about the history of atomic bombs. He began studying the history…