John Oliver Examines Why U.S. “History” Varies So Wildly From State to State - Slate

Fortunately, Americans are taught an accurate and nuanced accounting of our country’s history, like that slaves had “a great frolic” after their masters threw them a picnic or that some slaves were “good workers” while others were “lazy and disobedient.” Wait, what?!

has no national standards for social studies, the version of history that students are taught is largely left up to individual state mandates.

To do that, Oliver highlights three common mistakes in teaching American history.

First is our refusal to fully acknowledge the history of white supremacy in America.

The Last Week Tonight host fully acknowledges that history must be taught in an age-appropriate manner, meaning third-graders probably shouldn’t hear Lee Atwater’s 1981 speech on the Southern Strategy.

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