Yes.... were not suppose to know? Then why do I know that almost everything in those links are covered by my college history class?

Ex. The Pilgrims, it was basically a half-summary from my book.

It may just because I took it in high school and many others didn't and that is why I know, but then the regular history kids would be unaware.

Originally posted by FSBlueApocalypse
Link #1 The Puritans ... "There was no prohibition on the practice of Puritanism, an extreme fundamentalist form of Protestantism, in Britain." Yes there certainly was. If you didn't go to a Church of England church back then, you risked getting executed.

I think you might be are misinformed here - the Puritans were always recognised as a legitimate if very extreme group within the Church of England after Orange's "Glorious Revolution". Although they faced spotted discrimination before 1640, during the Protectorate they were granted complete equal rights. After Chalres II was reinstated, there was an initial purge, but no prohibition of practice. Sporadically there were persecutions, but, like I said, after Orange's revolution that came to an end too.

EDIT: To add, the persecutions were mostly political, not religious - the Puritans were anti-monarchy and therefore were kept from positions of high power within the CoE - BUT they were still allowed to practise and were considered within the CiE.

[edit on 9/11/2008 by rexpop]

Not sure I think it all rings so true. Clearly the author is on their own crusade and agenda. Some events like the black guy in Oklahoma city sounds a lot like an arranged event to me. Not sure I believe George Washington was wealthy. etc.. The information provided is very skewed.

Originally posted by Distractions4Nothing
I don't know where people get the idea that Americans don't know about this stuff. When I was a kid in school, we learned all about the slave trade and our aggressive wars against Native Americans.

I agree 100%. (I made the same point, slightly differently.)

I think the OP needs some rethinking. I even wonder whether this thread was started by a US citizen or not, since it seems pretty surprised about some very basic information.

A lot of this stuff is common knowledge to all Americans: Salem witch trials. Washington owned slaves. We committed genocide against the native Americans. President Grant was an alcoholic. We provoked the Spanish American War. We interned Japanese-Americans during WW2.

No news there.

#

It is in the nature of USA citizens to be highly self-critical. I think it is our way of testing whether we actually have freedom of speech or not.

The good news: Yes, we have freedom of speech.

Again, no news there.

[edit on 9-11-2008 by Buck Division]

Thanks, any scources of this, like 200year old Freemason, books lying around?

A few Masonic shops sell books like these to other masons, for "safe Keeping"

I haven't read all the responses. I did read all the information and WOW. Very, very interesting. I'm a little shocked, to be honest. Funny thing is, I don't recall hearing any of this stuff in public school, or anywhere else for that matter.

Originally posted by warrenb
no spoon feeding....google is your friend

[edit on 8-11-2008 by warrenb]

Excuse me? I haven't ever been spoon feed and don't want to be. You on the other hand would believe any trite that is posted on the internet. Keep using Google and spoon feed your self some more nonsense.

-Ign0RanT

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Well, that is some really awful propaganda. Yes, there is another side to those stories, however, the person who wrote that obviously has both no understanding of history, and is extremely biased. Sadly, I think we will see a lot more of that perspective popping up. Ignorance under th guise of intelligence is the new order of society.

I fail to see the need to counter such slander. The author of these pieces is nothing more than an American bashing, U.S. hating, spiteful, slanted "Author" of History. So much of the Author's opinion is injected into these "Historical Pieces", that one must begin to wonder if Political Pundits have hijacked the field of Social Studies and History.

I for one learn my History from the Novels and Documents of those who lived through it, as well as from my own family's records and journals. My family has been around here since Jamestown, and Plymouth, so much of what I learn is passed on as Family Knowledge. I will admit that the History books I had in School did skew certain issues here or there, but it was nothing I could not remedy with a decent amount of studying or discussion.

Certain facts here or there, which are presented through these links, do provide some insight and knowledge into events of the past. However, they fall victim to the very same issue which skewed the History in my aforementioned school books, and that is the injection of Opinion and Politics by those who never lived through it.

I will not tell you to keep a closed mind, or to forget about alternative sources of information, but I will state that these links are blatantly biased and spiteful. If you cannot pick that up from the format of the pages, and the first paragraph or two, then you are not scrutinizing the information closely enough.

As for stating that this somehow makes you "Ashamed to be an American", that is an extremely pitiful attitude, and you have done nothing but proven yourself to be easily persuaded by the slightest of Opinionated "Facts".

Originally posted by Nerevar
Good links. S&F!

More people need to read the other side of the coin. The problem is that history is written by the victors.

Therefore the truth quite often gets misconstrued. The most poignant point in the whole article is the fact that HARDLY ANYONE is aware of Britain's role in abolishing slavery WORLDWIDE. My forbears actively tried to stop the trade in humans be it through paying indirectly for the naval patrols off the coast of Africa or taking part in these patrols.

To this day, Britain is still accused of everything and anything to do with slavery but NEVER credited with being the first country in the world to abolished slavery and root out its benefactors.

Even the fact that Britain established treaties with the Indian nations of the Americas illustrates that we have always been (or at least tried to be) a tolerant and fair nation.

While i harbour no resentment towards our American descendants / cousins (quite literally cousins), i do feel that the representation of the actions of Britain during the "Revolution" were always distorted. Films such as The Patriot etc really anger me. The fact that they are blaming the "King of England" for unfair taxation smacks of ignorance...all laws in Britain were (and still are) passed through Parliament before reaching the King for his seal of approval.

More and more people should read this, obviously with a pinch of salt as it is considerably biased in its wording (bear in mind that slave trading in the Colonies was a legal trade up until the laws of England abolished it - so it cannot really be used as an insult) and you will be fine.

King George III gets the blame for the acts of Parliament, because he did not take action to redress those grievances and appeared to be punishing the Colonials for complaining to him. Had he had the wisdom to insist that the Colonials be given seats in Parliament, then he would have been a hero and there never would have been an American Revolution. So King George III gets the blame because it was his fault!