First U. S. History Textbooks

by Barry Joyce

Analyzes the common narrative residing in American History textbooks published in the first half of the 19th century. That story, what the author identifies as the American “creation” or “origins” narrative, is simultaneously examined as both historic and “mythic” in composition. Joyce offers a multidisciplinary perspective on an enduring aspect of these works. He begins with a thesis that proposes the importance of the relationship between myth and history in the creation of America#x19;s textbook narrative and ends with a call for a truly inclusive story of who Americans are and what...