George,

Interesting thread. Pardon my bluntness, but one of the questions asked, was the wrong question. Craig said, in answer to it, "I haven't ever stood before a class and said the North may have been right or the South may have been wrong"

And, of course, that is very true. I'm sure he's never said that. I'm sure the great majority of history educators don't say that. The plain fact is, they don't have to say it. All Craig (or any other teacher or professor - I'm not pickin' on Craig per se, here) has to do is to teach what Alan has succinctly called "the orthodox view" of it. There is no truly alternative view of the events taught.

What's taught is that slavery was the South's issue and "preservation of the union" was the North's issue. That's what is taught by sheer emphasis, in the best case scenarios. There isn't even enough of the alternative facts taught to arouse questions in a student's mind. The fact that the founding fathers were not all in lock-step about many issues isn't even taught. It might be vaguely referenced, but you and I both know that a balanced view of that isn't taught. A truly objective and balanced view being presented is like hens teeth. Know why? Because teachers/professors only present "The Truth and the Facts" (and never mind the questions - whose truth? whose facts?). This lets them off the actual-objectivity hook and allows them to say with a perfectly straight face that they do not influence their students view of the "ACW" or anything else in American history, but allow their students to "make up their own minds" about it all.

At least that certainly has been my experience (personally and vicariously with my children) of them ranging from those tenured in huge universities to teaching in small colleges over a period of time from 1965 - 1995.

George, frankly, I feel morally obligated to point out that is not rain you've been feeling on your leg lately.

Regards,
Penny