To the editor:

The articles “History in Ruins” and “History Is Not a Useless Major” (Perspectives, April 2017) are curiously related. The most effective way to manipulate and rule a subjugated population is to destroy or revise its history. The Great Libraries of Alexandria, Egypt, were destroyed by successive invasions, affecting the interpretation of historical fact down to this day. The same thing is being accomplished in this country through undervaluing the teaching of the subject of history. For example, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer could make the breathtaking and dangerous pronouncement that Hitler “didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons.” Spicer was either taught that, or he believed he was speaking to people ignorant of history. History is as important as any other subject in a quality curriculum. Knowledge and understanding of the principles upon which the United States was founded is intrinsic to maintaining a free and democratic society.

Larry Adams
Hillside, NJ

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Attribution must provide author name, article title, Perspectives on History, date of publication, and a link to this page. This license applies only to the article, not to text or images used here by permission.

The American Historical Association welcomes comments in the discussion area below, at AHA Communities, and in letters to the editor. Please read our commenting and letters policy before submitting.