RateItAll: The Opinion Network

I had the benefit of having great history teachers who were passionate enough to instill in me as to why this country and its history was/is so special. Needless to say, I excelled at it. So I became a history major (with an emphasis on Asian American Studies) while in college.

I love this idea of History. But taking it as an AP course and having a teacher who rarely taught us anything was a bad combination for me.

I love US history...especially the time period from the Revolution through reconstruction. Very interesting to learn about how our country developed.

A country which hasn't even existed for 300 years doesn't deserve its own history lesson...
In England, there's no 'English History', and you guys are whippersnappers compared to us...

I was the official consultant on the Marines in my last history class.

U.S. history before about 1900 is extremely interesting, and is probably my favorite non math/science class. But the more modern stuff gets a little too dry and political.

A great subject when taught properly...one that I didn't appreciate enough when I was a teenager.

However, I am concerned that most K-12 history books (and many college books, as well) have been re-written to portray actual history in a different light...the PC light. This disgusts me. Kids today will never know what really happened and they will go about daily life having been influenced by events that didn't "happen" the way they really happened...at least in their minds.

This is a great subject but is dying out. Most students today are too illiterate and are too clueless, really to grasp many lessons from history.

History, the way it is taught, is boring! But I think it could be made more interesting - starting with introducing students to different books and museums and movies... not just lectures about wars and dates.

Not as much fun as world history but it still was interesting.

My favorite topic, especially when it's taught right.

It's always great to know your History. I always favored this subject over most any, as this sort of thing has always fascinated me (why it didn't become my college major, I may never know lol). To go along with this area of study; I also preferred American Government over ALL of my classes...

It's America dudes. George Washington, WW2, The Great Depression, The Constitution, it's home.

I like the end of a history class because by that time no one would dispute my dominance over them.

This is a good subject, but i have no use for the knowledge of it. I would only need the knowledge if i was on the Jeopardy game show. They should start up a pop culture class for high school. It is history too! It helped me answer the questions watching the Beat the Geeks quiz show.

A great subject. But sadly a lot of times the truth has been watered down and diluted. Our kids need to know that Oswald did'nt act alone. Major revisions need to be made in our History Books.

With the right teacher, this subject can be fascinating. People who claim that America has no history are dead wrong -- I think it has one of the richest pasts of any country. You might have trouble paying attention if you aren't studying something interesting, like wars. The world wars, especially World War II are the most gripping parts of the class. It's an epic adventure story!

Kristenx81- I totally agree! You'd be surprised how few people know the basic fundamentals regarding our goverment. Some don't even know who the first president was! I'm talking about adults here people! It really is a shame. US history was always a lot of fun and I've always been fascinated by it.

I don't think that any student in the United States should be allowed to receive their high school diploma unless they can show that they have a basic understanding of our country's history.

Of course, this rating is based on whether one is truly being taught this subject and not being fed alot of nonsense, half-truths, sugar-coating and general BS that educators try to pass off as U.S. History. The study of this subject is only useful if you go beyond the mere rote cavalcade of dates, events, great men, etc., and look at the real meaning of history: social, political, economic and cultural dynamics that led to critical events, and critical events that led to, shaped or enhanced those dynamics. Too often History is taught as fact, which is an erroneous and disingenuous conception: actually it's an interpretation of happenings supported by actual documentation as much as possible. It's no surprise that the word History contains the word story because that's exactly what it is: a human construct that is remote from fact and actuality, colored by perspective and bias. This bias and slanting is a result of either an unquestioning acceptance of The Official Line, or a skeptical rejection thereof. However, one does run into historical project that is relatively free of spin, but then again, one has to be knowledgeable to separate spin from historical likelihood in these cases. Unfortunately, the shovelheads teaching history these days in schools below the freshman year of college really aren't getting to the real issues: they're just parroting the same old misconceptions and cant that's been misleading the American public for generations, or picking up on new fairy tales to disseminate. I pity the youngsters who have to wade through all this crap.

I always found U.S. History interesting and easy. It's important to be aware of at least some of the history of one's own country. We had to memorize important dates and events in my class.

i will be taking this class next year so i won't know what it is going to be like but i think it will be very interesting. america is such a young country but with so much history so i will be looking forward to it

I took U.S. History up to the post-Civil War era in 8th grade, and will not take the second part of U.S. history until 11th grade, but I fully expect to ace that class. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a U.S. History buff. I really enjoy learning about all of the trials and tribulations that our country has experienced since its beginnings. We have been through so much in such a short period of time. Instability following the Revolutionary War, slavery, divisions, Civil War, Reconstruction, more divisions, two World Wars, a great depression, and then more division. The amazing thing about Americans that has been aparrant based on history is that we are at our best when things are at their worst. During the Great Depression, as Solenoid DH said in his comment on the 1930s, Americans cared for each other and wanted to help one another. During the Civil War, morality was low but the Union was preserved. During the Revolutionary War, all hope was lost but we won. During World War II, Hitler seemed unstoppable but he ended up in a ditch on fire. During the Civil Rights Movement, it was thought that African Americans would never get equal rights. But the government and the people of the United States ensured that they would. And now, following 9/11, patriotism is rampant. Where were all those flags in the "good times" known as the 90s. We were spoiled rotton. And then tragedy hit and the United States was ready to fight and Americans were fully willing to suppor their country. I find history so interesting, and just cannot get enough of it. It's a shame that more people don't have even a remote knowledge of our history and heritage.

This can be a great class if it's taught unbiasedly. Unfortunately about 95% of the time it's got a liberal slant when taught in most public institutions.