Why American History Is Not What They Say : an Introduction to Revisionism

Why American History Is Not What They Say : an Introduction to Revisionism

WHY AMERICAN HISTORY IS NOT WHAT THEY SAY : AN INTRODUCTION TO REVISIONISM

also by jeff riggenbach
In Praise of Decadence

WHY AMERICAN HISTORY IS NOT WHAT THEY SAY : AN INTRODUCTION TO REVISIONISM

Jeff Riggenbach

Ludwig von Mises Institute, 518 West Magnolia Avenue, Auburn, Alabama 36832; mises.org. Copyright 2009 © by Jeff Riggenbach Published under Creative Commons attribution license 3.0 ISBN: 978-1-933550-49-7

History, n. An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools.

—ambrose bierce
The Devil’s Dictionary (1906)

This book is for Suzanne, who made it possible.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Portions of Chapter Three and Chapter Five appeared earlier, in somewhat different form, in Liberty magazine, on RationalReview. com, and on Antiwar.com. David J. Theroux of the Independent Institute, Andrea Millen Rich of the Center for Independent Thought, and Alexia Gilmore of the Randolph Bourne Institute were generous with their assistance during the researching and writing stages of this project. Ellen Stuttle was her usual indispensable self. And, of course, responsibility for any errors of fact, usage, or judgment in these pages is entirely my own.

CONTENTS

preface one
i. ii. iii. iv. The Art of History
Objectivity in History History and Fiction The Historical Fiction of Kenneth Roberts The Historical Fiction of John Dos Passos

15 19 19 25 36 41

two
i. ii. iii.

The Historical Fiction of Gore Vidal: The “American Chronicle” Novels
Burr and Lincoln 1876, Empire, and Hollywood Hollywood and The Golden Age

49 49 59 65 71 71 78 85 93 96

three
i. ii. iii. iv. v.

The Story of American Revisionism
The Birth of American Revisionism and the Rise of Harry Elmer Barnes Charles A. Beard and William Appleman Williams: From Progressivism to the New Left Harry Elmer Barnes and James J. Martin: From Progressivism to Libertarianism James J....

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