MONUMENTAL RESOURCES
Additional Resources About American Monuments
Websites
Books
A People’s History of the United States
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
Articles/Blogs
Historical markers are everywhere in America. Some get history wrong
Why do people believe myths about the confederacy? Because our textbooks and monuments are wrong.
Why Just ‘Adding Context’ to Controversial Monuments May Not Change Minds
The Most Controversial Statue in America Surrenders to the Furnace
Lessons from the History Textbook Wars of the 1920s
Who chooses the history textbooks?
Texas Revises History Education, Again: How a “Good Faith” Project Became Political
Film Screening Questions
Pre-Screening Questions
- Why do you think public monuments and statues are put up?
- What was the last historic site or monument that you visited?
- How did you feel after you left the site?
Post-Screening Questions
- What did James Loewen mean by, “You’re better off by not learning [history] in the first place.”?
- If a monument or statue is put up on a public site, who should decide its theme and design?
- Do you think the time or era when a monument was put up affects the story that is told there? If so, how?
- Can you think of a group or a community that is not represented by monuments or historic sites?
- Do you think Christopher Columbus should be celebrated? Why or why not? Watch Clip
- What did Lonnie Bunch mean when he said, “Lincoln played a role in freeing the slaves, but the slaves played a role in freeing themselves.”? Watch Clip
- How does a monument’s design convey a message? Can you give an example? Watch Clip
- Should some monuments and statues be removed from public places? Why or what not?
- What themes or stories do you think should be told at Mount Rushmore?
- Is there a way to tell all sides of a story at a public monument or historic site?
- According to Howard Zinn, what can cause people to seek out the truth in American history? Watch Clip