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Mar. 1st, 2006 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hathycolOh, British educational system. The things you don't tell us.
I have been quietly informed - quite rightly - all my life that the entire Native American (is that the new PC term? Why are we being taught the term 'Indian' when that refers to someone from, well, India?) peoples were quite nice dudes, good to nature, and Anglo settlers were TEH EVIl and destroyed them.
Seems to be mostly true - I know about the encampments, I know they were good to nature, I know settlers brought over smallpox and hell, the common cold, and I knew that generally the firepower was better etc but I'm currently reading about Pontiac's Rebellion.
Oh my god, this is fascinating. No, seriously, it totally is. I've always been somewhat bored by American history - all seemed far too mentalistic, patriotic, generically racist (British history is no better, I fully admit, but I have a distaste) in many of the policies of earlier leaders and ends with "YAY WE WON AND NOW WE OWN THE WORLD." I have to point out that's the impression given by the media and the teachers I had in high school. (Oh, to hear my history teachers damning inditement of the US involvement in WW2.)
The frontier stuff, though? Building a new civilisation (not fighting for independence. I'm sorry, I actually don't care) is so interesting like you wouldn't believe.
Whichy leads me back to Pontiac's Rebellion. Holy crap, that was nasty for all concerned, wasn't it?
In conclusion, this is all very interesting. I am fascinated. Officially, you might say.
Unusual, as I dislike this period of history in general. Hmm.
(I also have a terrible craving to watch Pirates of the Caribbean and claim it's research into British Imperialism and then watch Firefly for that frontier feeling.)
Anyway. I have probably massively offended every American on my flist, but honestly, I've never been taught this stuff before and the media LIES. Tell me stuff! It's interesting! Honestly! Not trying to insult anyone!
Why, yes, I am preparing for a tutorial presentation less than 12 hours before it's in. Again.
I have been quietly informed - quite rightly - all my life that the entire Native American (is that the new PC term? Why are we being taught the term 'Indian' when that refers to someone from, well, India?) peoples were quite nice dudes, good to nature, and Anglo settlers were TEH EVIl and destroyed them.
Seems to be mostly true - I know about the encampments, I know they were good to nature, I know settlers brought over smallpox and hell, the common cold, and I knew that generally the firepower was better etc but I'm currently reading about Pontiac's Rebellion.
Oh my god, this is fascinating. No, seriously, it totally is. I've always been somewhat bored by American history - all seemed far too mentalistic, patriotic, generically racist (British history is no better, I fully admit, but I have a distaste) in many of the policies of earlier leaders and ends with "YAY WE WON AND NOW WE OWN THE WORLD." I have to point out that's the impression given by the media and the teachers I had in high school. (Oh, to hear my history teachers damning inditement of the US involvement in WW2.)
The frontier stuff, though? Building a new civilisation (not fighting for independence. I'm sorry, I actually don't care) is so interesting like you wouldn't believe.
Whichy leads me back to Pontiac's Rebellion. Holy crap, that was nasty for all concerned, wasn't it?
In conclusion, this is all very interesting. I am fascinated. Officially, you might say.
Unusual, as I dislike this period of history in general. Hmm.
(I also have a terrible craving to watch Pirates of the Caribbean and claim it's research into British Imperialism and then watch Firefly for that frontier feeling.)
Anyway. I have probably massively offended every American on my flist, but honestly, I've never been taught this stuff before and the media LIES. Tell me stuff! It's interesting! Honestly! Not trying to insult anyone!
Why, yes, I am preparing for a tutorial presentation less than 12 hours before it's in. Again.
