Discussions

By SUSAN CHIRA

Published: July 10, 1991

Rami Muth's eighth graders in Benicia, Calif., learn that George Washington was an American hero -- and so were Mercy Otis Warren, Sacajawea, and Absalom Jones.

If those names sound unfamiliar, that is because they are only now being taught to American schoolchildren, as part of a fast-spreading and controversial movement known as multiculturalism. The idea is to change what children learn by including the contributions, perspectives, and sufferings of diverse ethnic and racial groups.

I am going digital and need to open space in my office.  I have a complete run of American Historical Review in mint condition, that I'll ship to the highest bidder, starting at $100.

Contact me off-list to arrange.

Iam Pompous

commons-subscriber@mail.h-net.msu.edu

I recently completed teaching Walter Johnson's River of Dark Dreams in an advanced undergraduate course and found it worked well despite its considerable length.  Although Johnson is going over familiar ground, he offers new perspectives on the development of antebellum slavery in the Mississippi Valley.  I am interested in what others think of the book and if anyone else has used it in a course.

David Herr

St. Andrews University

This is a fugitive slave because the image I uploaded isn't available yet.