Teaching the United States as an Imperial Power

Those who read way too much history, and get lost in internet comment sections like myself, often come across statements like “wow, I never learned that in high school”.  The book “Lies my teacher told me” still resonates with adults who remember spending hours and days memorizing information that turned out to be only partially true or downright false.  And that book was written in 1995.  Since then there continues to be misinformation taught in schools about US History, and World History in general.

The United States is an empire.  We all know it, but we don’t have time to really think about it.  However, it is the job of teachers to present the story of the United States correctly, without the mythology.  The United States has been gathering territory since it began as a small colony in Virginia.  The United States is the progeny of a colonial power - Britain.  So it only makes since that the nation would carry in the parent country’s footsteps.  But the United States has taken it to a new level.  White Britain boasted of its colonial might, the United States hides it.  In fact, it hides it so well that many people born, raised, and schooled in the United States rarely hear about our Imperial might.

We have to teach about the United States as an imperial power for many reasons.  The most important reason is that Americans often look ignorant in the eyes of foreigners who know more about our colonial past than we do.  People living in United States territories know very well that they live in U.S. outposts but the people in the mainland have no idea.  Those teachers who have the responsibility of teaching American history should explain this story.  Instead of trying to show the United States as a great power who has grown because of it’s intelligence, hard work, and religion (or in other number of myths), history teachers should explain how the country grew at the expense of others.  And this should be highlighted over and over again because it happens over and over again.  Every story of American history could be told from the side of the losing party, and it would have a much different tone.

Another reason to teach the United States as an imperial power is economics.  Many people complain about losing jobs to immigrants.  These people have no idea how much money the country brings in from its imperial interests.  Or how much money is spent to maintain those territories.  Teaching U.S. as an empire will help students ask the right questions about our nation’s finances as they become adults.

A third reason to teach U.S. as an empire is honesty.  Our country has dirt on our hands and we should feel guilty.  Too often, we try to hide the bad things that our country does.  The consequence is that we repeat the mistakes of the past.  Our country has done things that would be considered genocide and military crimes if committed by another country.  It is a tough story to tell, but it is the truth.  And if we want our nation to reach the potential that it claims - that we are a great nation - we should own up to the mistakes of the past.  The history class is a great place to share these stories and work out ways that our country can be better.

Oftentimes, people try to shy away from the past, saying that certain things happened because times were different.  But that is not true.  People in the past knew that the Iroquois, and the Seminoles, and the Apache were real people.  And they killed and stole their land anyway.  People knew that the people of Puerto Rico and the people of the Philippines had a unique culture and fought hard to gain independence from the Spanish.  They conquered and turned them into American territories anyway.  The United States had a choice in so many matters of empire, and our nation chose to murder and take land from people who we decided were inferior.  As a teacher today, you have the choice to teach the truth of these historical incidences, or teach the mythology.

Below are sources that can be used to tell the story of Imperial America.

How to Hide an Empire

Daniel Immerwahr does an amazing job of explaining how the U.S. retains colonial power, without claiming all of its territory.  His book was actually the inspiration for this article.  If you are not sure about reading the book, check out some of his interviews.  It will make you want to learn more about these stories.

Filipino American War

This article gives a brief summary of the Filipino American war.  This is an important story to highlight the cost of war in lives.  As well as the efforts to rebel against imperial conquest.  Theodore Roosevelt was part of the group that led the fight against the people of the Philippines.  This fighting takes place after the people of the island had gained independence from the Spanish Empire.

At a time when the United States could have been a great liberator, helping a smaller group fight off an empire, we chose to attack this smaller group instead.

Conquest of Hawaii

When the United States was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, that military base was not yet part of the United States.  Hawaii was still a territory of the United States on December 7, 1941, that day that will live in infamy.

Hawaii became a territory of the United States through the efforts of businessmen and military personnel who disregarded the native people of the island who asked and fought for self-government.  Different United States presidents, including Grover Cleveland and William McKinley had the opportunity to step in and prevent the removal of the Hawaiian monarch, but chose instead to allow it to happen.

Immerwahr, Daniel. How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Philippine-American War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/event/Philippine-American-War.

Greenspan, Jesse. “Hawaii's Monarchy Overthrown With U.S. Support, 120 Years Ago.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 17 Jan. 2013, www.history.com/news/hawaiis-monarchy-overthrown-with-u-s-support-120-years-ago.

Illinois Has Fixed Its School Funding Formula, But That Didn’t Help My Student

Illinois Has Fixed Its School Funding Formula, But That Didn’t Help My Student

Illinois Has Fixed Its School Funding Formula, But That Didn’t Help My Student
by Jonathan Baymon

(This article originally published in Education Post, link above)

Kylie, now an eighth-grader, came to our school in second grade. In her six years with us, she came to think of our school as a safe place where she had beloved friends and inspiring teachers. She grew to become an honor roll student and a three-sport athlete.

But last fall, Kylie’s school trajectory changed abruptly. Our school district is required to act on residency issues and Kylie’s family was unable to prove that they lived in our district. Kylie actually lives out of our district and was sent to her underfunded, underperforming neighborhood school. It was tough for me to see Kylie go simply because she did not live in our neighborhood. And Kylie was not alone. When our district took action, our small school, with an enrollment of just over 400 students, lost nearly 20 students to residency issues.

IT IS NO WONDER PARENTS TAKE THE RISK OF SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOLS OUT-OF-DISTRICT.Kylie’s family, like many others, recognized the disparities between their neighborhood school and other schools nearby. Kylie’s neighborhood school suffers from low test scores and high staff turnover. It is no wonder parents take the risk of sending their children to schools out-of-district. For many, it may be the only way to give their child a better educational future.

Parents should not have to send their children to an out-of-district school in order to receive a quality education. Research has shown that when school funding reforms put more money into schools and districts,low-income children benefit significantly, both in educational attainment and in life outcomes like higher wages. As a teacher, I can tell you why.

YOU CAN’T GET RESULTS WITHOUT ADEQUATE FUNDING

Without adequate funding, schools can’t provide the resources their students need: more staff to reduce student-teacher ratio, more special education and English language teachers to help students who need those services and more sports and arts to challenge students in non-academic activities.

Here in Illinois, thanks to our new school funding formula and new state investment in schools, districts are making big strides toward full funding for all schools. In 2017, 183 Illinois school districts were receiving less than 60% of funds deemed adequate to educate students. Now, two years later, only 14 districts in the state are still funded below the 60% level. That’s real progress.

Illinois—traditionally one of the worst states in the nation for school funding disparities—is on a path to become a national leader in school funding equity. But it’s not happening fast enough for kids like Kylie. When our legislators return from spring break this week, we need to ask them to continue funding this formula so no school is inadequately funded.

IF WE REALLY BELIEVE IN GIVING ALL STUDENTS A QUALITY EDUCATION, WE SHOULD TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT NO SCHOOL IS UNDERFUNDED.Illinois could also reduce the gap in funding sooner with an increase in the funding model from $300 million annually to $450 million annually. As a state, if we really believe in giving all students a quality education, we should take the steps necessary to ensure that no school is underfunded.

Kylie probably doesn’t realize that it was her neighborhood school’s inadequate funding that led her parents to move her to an out-of-district school. What she does know is that she will have to graduate with a different group of students from the ones she got to know so well during the last six years. She will not be able to learn in the building among her classmates and teachers, and she will have to trade in her blue and gold basketball uniform.

I know that Kylie’s family will help her through this adjustment, and that she will succeed wherever she goes. I just wish that she and her parents didn’t have to choose between a good school and a low-performing one. Kylie and all our students deserve better.

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Black History Begins before Slavery

Black History Begins before Slavery

By Jonathan Baymon

Knowing the positive contributions of our ancestors builds confidence.  It builds a sense of pride.  That was one of the original goals when Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week in the 1920’s.  He recognized that the history of the descendants of African people was being taught incorrectly, or not taught at all.

As we go further into the 21st century, almost one hundred years since Woodson’s creation, we have to remember the purpose of teaching history, and the importance of teaching it correctly.  For African American history, we have to try to paint a picture of more than just the struggle against slavery.  We have to remind, or teach students about the civilizations that existed before slavery.

It is not about teaching that all Africans were kings and queens.  It is about teaching the complexity of the society that existed before slavery, and even during slavery.  Although the Atlantic  slave trade began in the late 1400’s, it lasted until the late 1800s.  That is over 400 years of history - longer than the United States has been a nation.  There is a complexity to the place where African Americans originate from.

Teaching students about their history can give them a sense of pride.  It can also give them something to attach themselves to.  The United States has an incredible mythology.  The stories of the Pilgrims who left Europe because of religious persecution is a great story of triumph.  The stories of Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers creating the world’s first modern democracy is a great story of triumph.  The stories of the United States coming to the rescue with military might in World War I and World War are great stories of triumph.  This gives American people a great sense of pride and confidence.  But within those stories are the tragedy of the descendants of Africans who would later be called African Americans.

These stories do not give African Americans a sense of pride.  In fact, it can turn a lot of students away from history altogether.  If a person reads deeper into those triumphal mythologies, there are stories of great civilizations being destroyed, and the people of those civilizations reduced to slaves, if not outright murdered (Native Americans).

That is why it is important to teach students about the complex societies that existed in Africa before the slave trade, and during the slave trade.  This way students can see themselves in history as more than just uncivilized people who were brought over by Europeans to work the land.  This can also make students want to learn more about the other places that Africans landed during the slave trade.  The Caribbean Islands and South America have a complex history with Africa, Europe, and the slave trade that would be a great addition to any lesson on African American history.

I tried writing this article before, and it became a history lesson, and that is not what I set out to do.  There are a number of stories to tell and it is extremely important that any teacher working with African American children take the time to learn those stories. It is extremely important to teach an in-depth African history to children who descend from that land.  The confidence from knowing one’s place in history works wonders in the decisions that a person makes in the future.  When people see their value, they expect greatness from themselves.

These lessons are also important for students who are not African American.  There is a history of misinformation on African American culture, and African culture.  As students learn more correct information, it can improve the perspective that people have of one another.

Here are some lessons that can help to increase student’s knowledge of Africa before and during the slave trade.  I encourage any teacher to look further into the stories, and look for other stories of Africa during this time period.  There is plenty of great research that exists!

Songhai Empire

When the earliest Europeans chose to trade along the coast of West Africa, it was the Songhai Empire that they encountered.  The Songhai Empire became dominant in the late 1400’s after defeating the Mali Empire which ruled the area since the 13th century.  The Portuguese learned of the gold that was abundant in Africa and this is what originally sparked trade between the two groups.  The Songhai empire also conducted trade across the Sahara with North African empires.  One of the great kings of Songhai was Sunni Ali who reigned from 1464 - 1492.

This story is important because it shows that the Portuguese recognized the importance of this African kingdom as a place of equality.  It was much later in history that Europeans made up the stories of entering Africa to civilized the continent.

University of al-Qarawiyyin

This University is considered the oldest standing university in the world.  It was founded by a Muslim princess from Tunisia - Fatima al-Fihri - in the year 859.  The University is located in Fez, Morocco. 

This university is important to the story of Africa because often, African history separates Northern Africa from Sub-Saharan Africa.  This creates the idea that Northern Africa - places like Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt are part of the Middle Eastern world, instead of the African world.  However, students should recognize the continent as a whole. 

This university taught students from around the world, including not just Morocco and North Africa, but also Central Asia, and West Africa.  The school had many applicants and thus had a rigorous selection process to attend.

Abu Bakr (of Jamaica)

Abu Bakr was an African Muslim who was captured and taken to Jamaica.  He was named after one of the most important figures in Muslim history, which makes finding information on him on the web very difficult. 

Abu Bakr’s story is interesting and very important because it shows that there was a high level of culture in Africa during the time of the slave trade.  His story combats the myth that Africans needed to be civilized by Europeans.  Abu Bakr was an accomplished, educated man who used his knowledge of the Arabic language to explain the complexity of his native land in West Africa.

Abu Bakr’s story is also important because it shows the connection of African Americans to different parts of the Western hemisphere.  In the United States, we learn the history of the slave trade with a focus on our country.  But many, many more slaves landed in the Caribbean Islands and South America.  This is a story of a shared history of African heritage.

Below are web sources for the information used.  There are incredible books and journals on these topics as well.

Songhai Empire

Tinashe. “Africa, Portugal.” South African History Online, 23 Jan. 2014, www.sahistory.org.za/topic/africa-portugal.

Cartwright, Mark. “Songhai Empire.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 1 Aug. 2019, www.ancient.eu/Songhai_Empire/.

University of al-Qarawiyyin (also written University of Al-Karaouine)

Ugc. “University of Al-Karaouine.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 31 May 2016, www.atlasobscura.com/places/university-of-alkaraouine.

“The Oldest University Is in Africa, and Was Founded by a Woman.” Face2Face Africa, 24 May 2019, face2faceafrica.com/article/the-oldest-university-is-in-africa-and-was-founded-by-a-woman.

Abu Bakr (of Jamaica)

Wisconsin Muslim Journal. “Muslim Slaves in America: Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq.” Wisconsin Muslim Journal, 9 Feb. 2018, wisconsinmuslimjournal.org/muslim-slaves-in-america-abu-bakr-al-siddiq/.

AFROZ, SULTANA. “The Unsung Slaves: Islam in Plantation Jamaica.” Caribbean Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 3/4, 1995, pp. 30–44. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40653941.