America Revised

America Revised examines how American history textbooks have changed over time and shaped national identity. FitzGerald analyzes textbooks from multiple decades to track evolving narratives about key historical events and figures. The book focuses on how publishers and education boards influenced textbook content based on political climate and social movements. Through extensive research of primary sources, FitzGerald documents the editing and revision processes that determined which versions of history reached American classrooms. The work investigates textbooks' treatment of subjects like Native Americans, slavery, immigration, and American foreign policy across different eras. FitzGerald examines how changing cultural attitudes led to reframings of these topics. This study raises fundamental questions about how societies construct and transmit their historical narratives. The documentation of textbook evolution serves as a lens for understanding broader shifts in American self-perception and values.

Readers describe America Revised as a clear analysis of how U.S. history textbooks change over time based on political and social pressures. Many note its relevance to current debates about history education and curriculum. Readers appreciated: - Clear documentation of how textbook content shifted between 1940-1980 - Examples showing how publishers altered content based on regional preferences - Analysis of how Cold War politics influenced history education Common criticisms: - Writing can be dry and academic - Focus mainly on textbooks from 1940-1980 limits current applicability - Some readers wanted more examples from specific textbooks Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (12 ratings) One reader noted: "Eye-opening look at how history gets rewritten to serve current agendas." Another criticized: "The analysis is solid but the presentation is too dense for casual readers."

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🔹 Frances FitzGerald won the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and Bancroft Prize for her 1972 book "Fire in the Lake" about Vietnam, years before writing "America Revised" 🔹 The research for "America Revised" involved examining over 100 different American history textbooks spanning from the 1920s through the 1970s 🔹 The book revealed how major historical events, like the treatment of Native Americans, were dramatically rewritten in textbooks as social attitudes changed over the decades 🔹 Prior to becoming an author, FitzGerald worked as a journalist in Vietnam for various publications including The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly 🔹 The publication of "America Revised" in 1979 sparked a national debate about how history textbooks are written and who controls the narrative of American history in schools