History Channel

I sat down today to watch the History Channel to review a show. Guess what? There was not any show about history on today. It was all reality shows. How can the History Channel not have a history show on. I flipped through the schedule for tomorrow to see and still no history. What gives?

Boy, Was I Wrong?

I fell into the trap that most people do. I figured Ken Burn's The War was border line history it was not an official history source. I thought without the talking head historian it could not be a history program. I never considered the script could be history. It was written by Geoffrey C. Ward. He won National Book Critics Circle Award and the Francis Parkman Prize of the Society of American Historians both for his biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He is an historian. Now while we still need to take the series with a grain of salt due to a lack of sourcing it is still a party of the history spectrum.

Is Oral History Valid?

In class we recently watched the Ken Burn's Docuseries The War. This series chronicled World War II from the perspective of four small towns in America. This film utilized no historians. All of the information used relied on oral history. This led to a discussion is oral history, history. I've came to the conclusion it is an aspect of history. This is one perspective on what happened. While it utilized no historical sources it utilized people who were actually there. Even if it had historians much of the documents on World War II are not available. Oral Histories cannot be discounted but they should not be the only source. But let's also remember what Voltaire said "History is a collection of agreed upon lies." This series just add to our story.

Do I Really Care About Heritage?

While reading The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History by David Lowenthal it struck me that I don't connect myself with my heritage. I barely know my family as it is and I can only go back two generations before I have no clue who anyone is in our family. I am at a disconnect. I love my family but I don't want to inherit their legacy. However, in a generation of hoarders (myself included) we cannot let our legacies go. I have more books than any normal person has but I won't let go of them because I want my children to read the same books I did. I still have every assignment I have ever done since Kindergarten. How can a person on one hand feel such a disconnect and non-wanting of his families heritage but won't let go of his? I don't know but I'll be looking for that answer.

Six Men of Wood

Cavalcade of America was a radio and television show in the 1940s and 1950s. Six Men of Wood was an episode that focused on a family and how they survived in the Great Depression. In the beginning the family is shown in the Roaring Twenties. The mother's main concern was with such a successful father the kids will never learn the value hard work. The father decides to teach them carpentry skills and each kid had to build something. The kids ran out of supplies and sold some of their furniture and the mom was upset. What would the neighbors think that they have their kids working? The neighbors ended up loving the furniture and thought nothing of it. Then the depression hits. The father loses his clients and the family decides to downsize. The kids then begin their furniture business and that is how the family survived the depression. The last image is the three oldest sons announcing there wives were all expecting.

Cavalcade of America is a great example of making history accessible to a wider audience. It should not be a person's only source for history but it is a great way to get people interested. The main problem I had was it was extremly positive. The only hardship was the lack of jobs but they built their own successful business. It was a complete Horatio Alger story. They went from riches to rags back to riches. If this was used in my classroom I would make sure to show a wide picture on what happened. Hopefully shows like this get people interested but I hope they do not rely on this as their only source.

STAY TUNED...

for my review of Cavalcade of America: Six Men of Wood

Is there something wrong with history?

The truth is I don't have an answer. I can see the argument on both sides. As I read Allen Brinkley's Historians and Their Publics and Ian Tyrell's Historians in Public it made it even more confusing. One of the main reasons for the downfall of history in the public is specialization. However, I don't see that as a problem. I am an Africanist. I do not want to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. I still read and try to understand all types of history but I focus on Africa. The problem is when it becomes a distraction. When all you do is focus on your specialization and fail to integrate it into other histories that is when there is something wrong with history.

However, history books are not usually my first reference point. History books are dry and boring and are not geared towards me. Historians have not grown with the times. In the time it takes me to read ten pages I could have gone online found the fact and saved time. History books are not concise and tend to over analyze. I watch the History Channel all the time because it is entertaining and integrate facts. Historians need to learn to adapt to a younger audience with the new technology because historians are no longer the only source for history.

Introduction

This blog is designed to find my audience. Who do I speak to, and what is the best way to do it? This is my journey, with the help of History 480 at Michigan State University with Professor Peter Knupfer. Below was our first assignment. Find a historical site and asks questions the general public would ask and what questions would a historian ask. Please remember comments are always welcomed to help me on this journey.

Raynor House

What questions would a visitor ask?

Who was John Raynor?

When did he come to the area?

Why is he important?

What questions would a Historian ask?

What is the importance of this building to the community?

What impact did John Raynor make?

Why did he settle in this area?

Who owns the house now?

(Edited January 14, 2010)