High Schoolers Name Most Famous Americans In History

[Dreadsox]

Originally posted by U2isthebest


I don't understand that either. Apparently the reporter isn't too well-versed in American History. The original survey, though, asked the students to pick the most famous Americans in all of our history, and she should definitely be on the list. I misunderstood your implication and thought you were wondering why she would've been on the list at all. Sorry!

Actually, I would probably place her higher than Rosa Parks. But that is me.

[Dreadsox]

I am rather excited to see Edison on the list. Amelia Earhart? I am not sure she belongs in the ranks of Rosa, Susan, Harriet....

I am surprised that Elenor Roosevelt is not on there. Clara Barton would have made the list before Amelia in my book. Abilgail Adams??????? Helen Keller?

[Axver]

Originally posted by U2isthebest
You have a question about Harriet Tubman?

I do! This is probably going to be embarrassing, but who the hell is she? I'm a history student and I've studied a fair deal of US history, much more than anybody in Australia is really expected to do, and yet I don't recognise her name whatsoever. Every other name in this thread is familiar and I can name what the person in question did, but Harriet Tubman doesn't ring a bell.

[Dreadsox]

Here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman

[the iron horse]

"The study acknowledges that the emphasis on African-American figures by the schools leaves behind not only 18th- and 19th-century figures but others as well, such as Hispanic icon Cesar Chavez, Native American heroes such as Pocahontas and Sacagawea and labor leaders such as Samuel Gompers and Eugene V. Debs."


The survey does not surprize me. I teach 7th grade language arts in a middle school and most of my students have no clue on American history or the people who helped shape it.

Politcal Correctness, within the schools, has bashed history in America.

[financeguy]

Originally posted by Dreadsox
I am rather relieved to see that white males have not completely been eliminated from our culture yet. We are close, but not yet.

They seem to control your government, last time I checked.

Although it's certainly legitimate to ask questions about why a lot of white male authors - e.g. Graham Greene, Anthony Powell, Evelyn Waugh and others - are largely ignored in universities these days because they aren't sufficiently 'multi-cultural'.

[Dreadsox]

OMG Marilynn Monroe????? I was upset over Amelia...haha

[namkcuR]

Originally posted by Axver


I do! This is probably going to be embarrassing, but who the hell is she? I'm a history student and I've studied a fair deal of US history, much more than anybody in Australia is really expected to do, and yet I don't recognise her name whatsoever. Every other name in this thread is familiar and I can name what the person in question did, but Harriet Tubman doesn't ring a bell.

She was an abolitionist and a unionist . She made many trips via the Underground Railroad to rescue hundreds of slaves in the ninteenth slavery and help them escape to freedom. She was a herself born into slavery, and when she escaped, she rescued her family and then many others. She helped some of these slaves get all the way to Canada, and she helped many of them get work(real work).

And the Underground Railroad wasn't a railroad. It was a term used to refer to a series of secret routes used by escaped slaves to get to the North/Free states and even Canada, with the help of abolitionists like Harriet Tubman.

[Dreadsox]

Originally posted by the iron horse


Politcal Correctness, within the schools, has bashed history in America.

I disagree......And Agree to some extent.

History should be color/gender blind. However, I do believe that it is important to provide examples of successful and influential people based on gender to be important for all children to see.

When and entire race has been put down, enslaved, segregated, discriminated against for a majority of this country's history....then I do believe we OWE it as a society to find examples of historically relevent people to teach about.

I also think so much emphasis has been placed on teaching history as dates in the past that kids HATE it.

There are themes, throughout history that can be used to teach making it more meaningful. Dates can be looked up instantly on the internet.

[Axver]

Originally posted by namkcuR
She was an abolitionist and a unionist . She made many trips via the Underground Railroad to rescue hundreds of slaves in the ninteenth slavery and help them escape to freedom. She was a herself born into slavery, and when she escaped, she rescued her family and then many others. She helped some of these slaves get all the way to Canada, and she helped many of them get work(real work).

And the Underground Railroad wasn't a railroad. It was a term used to refer to a series of secret routes used by escaped slaves to get to the North/Free states and even Canada, with the help of abolitionists like Harriet Tubman.

Ah, thanks for the explanation. I am familiar with the Underground Railroad - I can't say it's anything I've studied in depth, but it has come up in both high school and university before. So perhaps Harriet Tubman got a mention then and I just didn't recall the name. Whatever the case, certainly nothing much at all was made of her here.

Given the US's fairly unique position in world affairs currently, it would be interesting to see an international equivalent of this list. I know that my mother, in a New Zealand high school, did no Kiwi or British history, but did two years of US stuff!

[Dreadsox]

I would put Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali on this list before Marilynn and Oprah.

[namkcuR]

Originally posted by Axver
Given the US's fairly unique position in world affairs currently, it would be interesting to see an international equivalent of this list.

Do you mean, international high school students naming the most famous Americans in history, or a list of the most famous people in history with no regard to nationality?

[Axver]

Originally posted by namkcuR
Do you mean, international high school students naming the most famous Americans in history, or a list of the most famous people in history with no regard to nationality?

The former, though perhaps Presidents should be included.

[namkcuR]

Originally posted by Axver


The former, though perhaps Presidents should be included.

I don't think the difference between the lists would be too huge. Now, ask American high school students to name the most famous non-Americans in history...that would be interesting(and not in a good way).

[No spoken words]

Originally posted by namkcuR


I don't think the difference between the lists would be too huge. Now, ask American high school students to name the most famous non-Americans in history...that would be interesting(and not in a good way).

1. David Beckham
2. Paris Hilton (She's French, right?)
3. Tina Turner
4. Oskar Schindler
5. Keira Knightley
6. James Bond
7. Chris Martin
8. Wyclef Jean
9. Detlef Schrempf
10. House MD

[namkcuR]

Originally posted by No spoken words


1. David Beckham
2. Paris Hilton (She's French, right?)
3. Tina Turner
4. Oskar Schindler
5. Keira Knightley
6. James Bond
7. Chris Martin
8. Wyclef Jean
9. Detlef Schrempf
10. House MD

[Axver]

Originally posted by No spoken words
1. David Beckham
2. Paris Hilton (She's French, right?)
3. Tina Turner
4. Oskar Schindler
5. Keira Knightley
6. James Bond
7. Chris Martin
8. Wyclef Jean
9. Detlef Schrempf
10. House MD

Where are the Spice Girls?

[No spoken words]

Originally posted by namkcuR

#9 was for you. Could have rolled with Nocioni, but, Schrempf is a legend, albeit not a Bulls' legend.

[namkcuR]

Originally posted by No spoken words


#9 was for you. Could have rolled with Nocioni, but, Schrempf is a legend, albeit not a Bulls' legend.

Schrempf

Ever notice he kind of looks like French Stewart?

[No spoken words]

Originally posted by namkcuR


Schrempf

Ever notice he kind of looks like French Stewart?

I never did, cos I was too bedazzled by his nightly boxscores (seriously, he filled up a stat sheet nicely, was a great Fantasy B-Ball player) to really gaze at his visage.

I have to say that I found the original post heartening. I am sure any and all of us could nitpick a few choices, but overall, it was a hell of a lot better than I anticipated when I first opened the thread.