A History of US: Difference between revisions

A History of US
Author	Joy Hakim
Subject	United States History
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Publication date	1995 (1st ed.)

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 15:09, 24 May 2024

A History of US is a ten-volume (and one sourcebook) historical book series for children, written by Joy Hakim and first published in its entirety in 1995. The series is published by the US branch of Oxford University Press and is currently in its third edition. Originally conceived as a trade children's series, the books quickly found fans among classroom teachers; in response to the prompting of educators Oxford University Press developed ancillary teaching materials to accompany the series. Branded as 'alternatives to traditional textbooks' the series is regularly used in both public and private schools, usually in middle school classes. The books are all written in a personal tone, as if the author were a storyteller. The texts have been released to ample praise by teachers, home-schoolers, students, and many others. The series has won the James A. Michener Award in Writing and the Parent's Choice Gold Award.

Content

The books are titled:

The First Americans: Prehistory–1600
Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600–1740
From Colonies to Country: 1735–1791
The New Nation: 1789–1850
Liberty for All? 1820–1860
War, Terrible War: 1855–1865
Reconstructing America: 1865–1890
An Age of Extremes: 1880–1917
War, Peace, And All That Jazz: 1918–1945
All the People: Since 1945

The eleventh volume is a sourcebook and index, containing full text of the primary sources—usually government documents, speeches, or famous writings—referenced throughout the series and words.

Reception

The series won the James A. Michener Award in Writing from the National Council of the Social Studies in 1997 and the Parents' Choice Gold Award in 1995 for a Reference book for ages 9–12. The series has sold millions of copies and was accepted as a textbook in several U.S. states.^[1] David McCullough, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of history books, praised A History of US before a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing in 2005.^[2]

Although it has received positive reviews from most people, some conservative critics have alleged that the works are politically-biased.^[3]

A series of reviews in 2000–2001 in The Textbook Letter, a publication of the Textbook League, criticized various aspects of the first two books of A History of US. In a review of volume 2, Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600–1740, Alice Whealey noted many claims regarding the history of Western civilization as erroneous, focusing on republicanism, Moorish Spain, and Abrahamic religious stories presented as fact.^[4] Also regarding volume 2, Earl Hautala wrote that Hakim's inclusion of the Bible stories of Abraham and Moses is unjustified and incorrect from both a Biblical and a non-Biblical perspective.^[5] William J. Bennetta argued that volume 1, The First Americans: Prehistory–1600, presented a politicized multicultural view of early history.^[6] A Portland Oregon parent brought serious concerns to her school district regarding the dehumanizing portrayal of slaves and the minimization of the suffering of Indigenous peoples during the chapters covering colonization. ^[7]

Adaptation

A television miniseries titled Freedom: A History of US was aired on PBS in 2003.^[8]

Voice cast

Hosted by Katie Couric. the series featured an ensemble voice cast playing multiple historical and fictional characters throughout the show's run. The cast included:^[8]

References

^ May, Michael (September 13, 2002). "Making Everyone Happy: The state textbook review process blends homogenized boredom". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
^ "U.S. History: Our Worst Subject?". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. June 30, 2005. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
^ Ravitch, Diane (2003). The Language Police. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 100–104. ISBN 0-375-41482-7.
^ Whealey, Alice. "Joy Hakim Should Not Write About the History of Europe". The Textbook Letter. 12 (1). Archived from the original on 2015-01-18. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
^ Hautala, Earl (March–April 2000). "Textbook-Writers Promote Religious Tales as "History"". The Textbook Letter. 11 (1).
^ Bennetta, William J. (March–April 2000). "Multi-Culti Joy". The Textbook Letter. 11 (1). Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
^ Jensen, Latisha (2021-03-03). "A Portland Parent Found Her Daughter's Textbook Racist. Her Teacher Has a Contract That Says He Could Use It Anyway". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
^ ^a ^b "Freedon: A History of US: Television Credits". WNET. Retrieved 17 November 2022.

External links

[1] May, Michael (September 13, 2002). "Making Everyone Happy: The state textbook review process blends homogenized boredom". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 13, 2011.

[2] "U.S. History: Our Worst Subject?". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. June 30, 2005. Retrieved March 13, 2011.

[3] Ravitch, Diane (2003). The Language Police. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 100–104. ISBN 0-375-41482-7.

[4] Whealey, Alice. "Joy Hakim Should Not Write About the History of Europe". The Textbook Letter. 12 (1). Archived from the original on 2015-01-18. Retrieved 2008-04-14.

[5] Hautala, Earl (March–April 2000). "Textbook-Writers Promote Religious Tales as "History"". The Textbook Letter. 11 (1).

[6] Bennetta, William J. (March–April 2000). "Multi-Culti Joy". The Textbook Letter. 11 (1). Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-03-14.

[7] Jensen, Latisha (2021-03-03). "A Portland Parent Found Her Daughter's Textbook Racist. Her Teacher Has a Contract That Says He Could Use It Anyway". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2021-03-07.

[Credits-8] "Freedon: A History of US: Television Credits". WNET. Retrieved 17 November 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1995 book by Joy Hakim}}
 {{Infobox book
-| name          = A History of US
+| name              = A History of US
-| image         =
+| image             = File:A_History_of_US.png
-| caption =
+| caption           =
-| author        = [[Joy Hakim]]
+| author            = [[Joy Hakim]]
-| illustrator   =
+| illustrator       =
-| cover_artist  =
+| cover_artist      =
-| country       =
+| country           =
-| language      =
+| language          =
-| series        =
+| series            =
-| subject       = United States History
+| subject           = United States History
-| publisher     = Oxford University Press
+| publisher         = [[Oxford University Press]]
-| pub_date      = 1995 (1st ed.)
+| pub_date          = 1995 (1st ed.)
-| pages         =
+| pages             =
-| isbn          =
+| isbn              =
-| oclc          =
+| oclc              =
-| preceded_by   =
+| preceded_by       =
-| followed_by   =
+| followed_by       =
 }}
 '''''A History of US''''' is a ten-volume (and one sourcebook) historical book series for children, written by [[Joy Hakim]] and first published in its entirety in 1995. The series is published by the US branch of [[Oxford University Press]] and is currently in its third edition. Originally conceived as a trade children's series, the books quickly found fans among classroom teachers; in response to the prompting of educators Oxford University Press developed ancillary teaching materials to accompany the series. Branded as 'alternatives to traditional textbooks' the series is regularly used in both public and private schools, usually in [[middle school]] classes. The books are all written in a personal tone, as if the author were a storyteller. The texts have been released to ample praise by teachers, home-schoolers, students, and many others. The series has won the James A. Michener Award in Writing and the Parent's Choice Gold Award.
@@ Line 34: / Line 35: @@
 #''War, Peace, And All That Jazz: 1918–1945''
 #''All the People: Since 1945''
-" Lost: A Colony
 The eleventh volume is a sourcebook and index, containing full text of the primary sources—usually government documents, speeches, or famous writings—referenced throughout the series and words.
 ==Reception==
-The series won the James A. Michener Award in Writing from the [[National Council of the Social Studies]] in 1997 and the Parents' Choice Gold Award in 1995 for a Reference book for ages 9–12.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=9012&award=xx&from=Oxford%20University%20Press |title=A History of Us: The Story of America |publisher=Parents' Choice |work=Parents' Choice Awards |accessdate=March 13, 2011}}</ref> The series has sold millions of copies and was accepted as a textbook in several U.S. states.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2002-09-13/102441/ |title=Making Everyone Happy: The state textbook review process blends homogenized boredom |first=Michael |last=May |date=September 13, 2002 |accessdate=March 13, 2011 |newspaper=The Austin Chronicle}}</ref> [[David McCullough]], a [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning author of history books, praised ''A History of US'' before a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_senate_hearings&docid=22-340 |title=U.S. History: Our Worst Subject? |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |date=June 30, 2005 |location=Washington, D.C. |accessdate=March 13, 2011}}</ref>
+The series won the James A. Michener Award in Writing from the [[National Council of the Social Studies]] in 1997 and the Parents' Choice Gold Award in 1995 for a Reference book for ages 9–12. The series has sold millions of copies and was accepted as a textbook in several U.S. states.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2002-09-13/102441/ |title=Making Everyone Happy: The state textbook review process blends homogenized boredom |first=Michael |last=May |date=September 13, 2002 |accessdate=March 13, 2011 |newspaper=The Austin Chronicle}}</ref> [[David McCullough]], a [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning author of history books, praised ''A History of US'' before a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_senate_hearings&docid=22-340 |title=U.S. History: Our Worst Subject? |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |date=June 30, 2005 |location=Washington, D.C. |accessdate=March 13, 2011}}</ref>
 Although it has received positive reviews from most people, some conservative critics have alleged that the works are politically-biased.<ref>{{cite book
@@ Line 52: / Line 51: @@
   | isbn = 0-375-41482-7 }}</ref>
-A series of reviews in 2000–2001 in ''The Textbook Letter'', a publication of the Textbook League, criticized various aspects of the first two books of ''A History of US''. In a review of volume 2, ''Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600–1740'', Alice Whealey noted many claims regarding the [[history of Western civilization]] as erroneous, focusing on [[republicanism]], [[Moorish Spain]], and [[Abrahamic religions|Abrahamic religious]] stories presented as fact.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.textbookleague.org/121hakm.htm |title=Joy Hakim Should Not Write About the History of Europe |first=Alice |last=Whealey |volume=12 |issue=1 |journal=The Textbook Letter}}</ref> Also regarding volume 2, Earl Hautala wrote that Hakim's inclusion of the [[Bible]] stories of [[Abraham]] and [[Moses]] is unjustified and incorrect from both a Biblical and a non-Biblical perspective.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.textbookleague.org/111hakm.htm |title=Textbook-Writers Promote Religious Tales as "History" |journal=The Textbook Letter |first=Earl |last=Hautala |volume=11 |issue=1 |date=March–April 2000}}</ref> William J. Bennetta argued that volume 1, ''The First Americans: Prehistory–1600'', presented a politicized [[multicultural]] view of early history.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.textbookleague.org/111joy.htm |title=Multi-Culti Joy |first=William J. |last=Bennetta |journal=The Textbook Letter |volume=11 |issue=1 |date=March–April 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.textbookleague.org/113hak.htm |title=More Hokum from Hakim |first=William J. |last=Bennetta |journal=The Textbook Letter |volume=11 |issue=3 |date=July–August 2000}}</ref>
+A series of reviews in 2000–2001 in ''The Textbook Letter'', a publication of the Textbook League, criticized various aspects of the first two books of ''A History of US''. In a review of volume 2, ''Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600–1740'', Alice Whealey noted many claims regarding the [[history of Western civilization]] as erroneous, focusing on [[republicanism]], [[Moorish Spain]], and [[Abrahamic religions|Abrahamic religious]] stories presented as fact.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.textbookleague.org/121hakm.htm |title=Joy Hakim Should Not Write About the History of Europe |first=Alice |last=Whealey |volume=12 |issue=1 |journal=The Textbook Letter |access-date=2008-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118082606/http://www.textbookleague.org/121hakm.htm |archive-date=2015-01-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Also regarding volume 2, Earl Hautala wrote that Hakim's inclusion of the [[Bible]] stories of [[Abraham]] and [[Moses]] is unjustified and incorrect from both a Biblical and a non-Biblical perspective.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.textbookleague.org/111hakm.htm |title=Textbook-Writers Promote Religious Tales as "History" |journal=The Textbook Letter |first=Earl |last=Hautala |volume=11 |issue=1 |date=March–April 2000}}</ref> William J. Bennetta argued that volume 1, ''The First Americans: Prehistory–1600'', presented a politicized [[multicultural]] view of early history.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.textbookleague.org/111joy.htm |title=Multi-Culti Joy |first=William J. |last=Bennetta |journal=The Textbook Letter |volume=11 |issue=1 |date=March–April 2000 |access-date=2011-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520141743/http://textbookleague.org/111joy.htm |archive-date=2011-05-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  A Portland Oregon parent brought serious concerns to her school district regarding the [[dehumanizing]] portrayal of slaves and the minimization of the suffering of Indigenous peoples during the chapters covering [[colonization]]. <ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.wweek.com/news/schools/2021/03/03/a-portland-parent-found-her-daughters-textbook-racist-her-teacher-has-a-contract-that-says-he-could-use-it-anyway/|title=A Portland Parent Found Her Daughter's Textbook Racist. Her Teacher Has a Contract That Says He Could Use It Anyway|first=Latisha|last=Jensen |journal=Willamette Week |date=2021-03-03 |access-date=2021-03-07}}</ref>
+==Adaptation==
+A television miniseries titled ''Freedom: A History of US'' was aired on [[PBS]] in 2003.<ref name="Credits">{{cite web |title=Freedon: A History of US: Television Credits |url=https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/historyofus/about/credits_tv.html |website=[[WNET]] |access-date=17 November 2022}}</ref>
+===Voice cast===
+Hosted by [[Katie Couric]]. the series featured an ensemble voice cast playing multiple historical and fictional characters throughout the show's run. The cast included:<ref name="Credits" />
+{{Cast list|
+* [[Jane Alexander]]
+* [[Jennifer Aniston]] -
+* [[Angela Bassett]]
+* [[Philip Bosco]]
+* [[Matthew Broderick]]
+* [[Billy Bush]]
+* [[Michael Caine]]
+* [[Chevy Chase]]
+* [[Glenn Close]]
+* [[Dabney Coleman]]
+* [[Sean Connery]]
+* [[Harry Connick Jr.]]
+* [[Billy Crystal]]
+* [[Blythe Danner]]
+* [[Michael Douglas]]
+* [[Charles S. Dutton]]
+* [[Ralph Fiennes]]
+* [[Morgan Freeman]]
+* [[Richard Gere]]
+* [[Whoopi Goldberg]]
+* [[John Goodman]]
+* [[Graham Greene (actor)|Graham Greene]]
+* [[Tom Hanks]]
+* [[Anthony Hopkins]]
+* [[Jeremy Irons]]
+* [[Samuel L. Jackson]]
+* [[Stacey Keach]]
+* [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]]
+* [[Kevin Kline]]
+* [[John Lithgow]]
+* [[Matthew McConaughey]]
+* [[Monique Mojica]]
+* [[Paul Newman]]
+* [[Brad Pitt]]
+* [[Dennis Quaid]]
+* [[Aidan Quinn]]
+* [[Robert Redford]]
+* [[Dana Reeve]]
+* [[Ving Rhames]]
+* [[Julia Roberts]]
+* [[Al Roker]]
+* [[Susan Sarandon]]
+* [[Campbell Scott]]
+* [[John Seigenthaler]]
+* [[Martin Sheen]]
+* [[Kevin Spacey]]
+* [[Meryl Streep]]
+* [[Raoul Trujillo]]
+* [[Stanley Tucci]]
+* [[Robin Williams]]
+* [[Reese Witherspoon]]
+* [[Joanne Woodward]]
+* [[Kristi Yamaguchi]]
+}}
 ==References==
@@ Line 60: / Line 120: @@
 *[http://www.joyhakim.com Joy Hakim's official website]
 *[http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/series/AHistoryofUS/ ''A History of US'' series page], from the Oxford University Press
+*[https://www.c-span.org/video/?122005-1/a-history-us Discussion with Hakim and middle school students on ''A History of Us'', March 24, 1999]
 *[https://www.c-span.org/video/?174432-1/freedom-history-us ''Booknotes'' interview with Hakim on ''Freedom: A History of US'', February 23, 2003.]
+*[https://www.c-span.org/video/?174112-1/freedom-history-us Presentation by Hakim to the National Council for the Social Studies on ''Freedom: A History of US'', November 22, 2002]
+*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361185/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 Freedom: A History of US] at the [[Internet Movie Database]]
 {{DEFAULTSORT:History Of US, A}}
+[[Category:Book series introduced in 1995]]
+[[Category:1995 non-fiction books]]
+[[Category:20th-century history books]]
+[[Category:1995 children's books]]
 [[Category:History books about the United States]]
 [[Category:Series of children's books]]
-[[Category:Children's history books]]
+[[Category:Children's history books about the United States]]
 [[Category:Series of history books]]
 [[Category:American children's books]]
-[[Category:1995 children's books]]
+[[Category:Oxford University Press books]]