Loewen argues, “The authors of history textbooks have taken us on a trip of their own, away from the facts of history, into the realm of myth.” As historical events regress further into the past, writers may misinterpret facts that they may have studied. A story of discovery and friendship or a tale of conquest, murder, and greed, which of these are Christopher Columbus’ true story? I believe the best method to teach American high school students about Christopher Columbus’ story is through historiography, because historiography teaches students to compare and distinguish different outlooks from different writers’ point of views instead of just remembering misinterpreted facts. Historiography would guide and force students to study and learn history through a diverse set of historians who focused on the same subject and come to different conclusions. Historiography sets a better stage for an understanding of a subject and opens up a boarder class discussion dialog.…show more content… Having a controversy in an environment full of wandering minds would cause curiosity among the students. I personally have always been someone to question what I was told, always looking for the original source of information, to see if there is an alternative version of the story.
In conclusion, using historiography to teach American high schools students about the myths and actual stories about Christopher Columbus is a more accurate method of teaching Columbus’ true character and Identifying his real mission of conquest.
Works Cited
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teachers Told Me, 2007
Irving, Washington. Life and voyages of Christopher Columbus. David McKay, 1893.
Morison, Samuel E. Christopher Columbus, Mariner, 1955
Sale, Kirkpatrick. The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy. New York: Knopf, 1990.