The Truth About the First Thanksgiving

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Rebecca Lyon History 2010 - Summer 2012 - Dr. Bucy June 1, 2012 - Essay 1 The Truth about the First Thanksgiving There are many mistakes that this nation has made, but admitting these faults has always been a sensitive topic. We tend to focus on our achievements and triumphs rather than the steps taken to overcome those challenges. As a result of this pride, whether conscious or not, we neglect certain truths that are significant. Robert Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, recognized this pattern and analyzed high school history books in order to find, or not find, controversial events that the authors disregarded. In a section of the book called “The Truth about the First Thanksgiving,” Loewen examines and unravels the actual facts of this event versus the fabricated tale being taught to children for decades, concluding that authors of American history books have been ignoring certain significant occurrences in order to sanctify this country’s past, leaving people unknowledgeable. In order to support his thesis, there are many historical events that Loewen expanded on, one of them being the role of the Indians during the “discovery” of America. After realizing that many of his students could not recollect learning anything about a plague, Loewen started investigating there. He states, “Only three of the twelve textbooks even mention Indian disease as a factor of Plymouth or anywhere in New England.” When the first settlers arrived on Indian land, they brought over vast amounts of disease that the Indians had no immune system to defend, therefore killing 90% of their population. By admitting there was a catastrophic plague, allowing villages and cleared land to be abandoned, authors would be openly telling students that our founders did not work as hard as we thought they did. Also, the role of Squanto, told to be the friendly Indian who made
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