History is a joke

[ScatterKitty]

AIBU to wish History lessons focused less on Henry VIII (or British monarchy in general) and more on the history which led to current conflicts and issues which affect current affairs?

Was anyone taught about the Israel/Palestine situation? Or the history of India or Pakistan? Or even Windrush and UK Black history?

How am I meant to explain to my kids what's going on in the world when we were never taught and all they learn about is British monarchy, Romans etc?

I've been trying to find a decent explanation online with no luck. Can anyone help?

It's on my reading list, thank you. But I still don't get any benefits from colonialism?

Are we suggesting Nigel Biggar is balanced?

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/20/colonialism-a-moral-reckoning-by-nigel-biggar-review-a-flawed-defence-of-empire

Can we please contextualise who the man is at least?

Since Olusoga has already been mentioned on here, perhaps some people ought to read him on the end of slavery, visit the Slavery Museum in Liverpool and read Empireland.

Just for balance, obviously.

Are we suggesting Nigel Biggar is balanced?

No one suggested that. But are we suggesting The Guardian's review of his book is balanced?

Two opposing sides may lead to a balanced discussion. Do you see?

As for what benefits there were to Empire/Colonialism. I couldn't possibly say. I wasn't there. It didn't affect me. I wouldn't want to speak for anyone who was affected. It's completely subjective for every single person who lived it, both the colonisers and the colonised. What I like to do though is get as much information as possible and form my opinions from that. Also when I see assertions and claims it is "fact" that white slave traders were physically hunting and capturing Africans and enslaving them and I know that isn't true then I'll try to offer a source which proves otherwise.

Since Olusoga has already been mentioned on here, perhaps some people ought to read him on the end of slavery,

I will do so. The other two suggestions you make, I have already done.

Nigel Biggar is a racist. I mean he denies he is - all racists do but some of the stuff he says about non Europeans is really shocking. But he speaks at Nat Con conferences and has links to Victor Orban. That's pretty widely known. His historical expertise is also questionable. But, anyway, this is way beyond the OP's question.

https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/snapshotsofempire/2023/06/02/on-colonialism-a-response-to-nigel-biggars-reply/

I have a first class degree in history :)

but my specialism is the period covering the birth of the Industrial Revolution through to the end of the Victorian era.

the thing about history is that it’s basically a study of everything that ever happened everywhere. There’s no way any history syllabus can include it all.

It's not a fact. Arab traders bought slaves from chiefs and kings e.g. in Burunda, Dahomey, Niger etc. Slaving was an economic choice and made Dahomey (now Benin) rich, so rich that when the British tried to stop the slave trade the king of Dahomey declared war on the British. Slaving by Arabs had been going on since roughly 600 AD (and before that slaves had been sold into Egypt and Ancient Rome etc from all over the Mediterranean and including sub-Saharan Africa). Slavery is endemic to humanity. All societies have slaved and all been enslaved at some point. Not until the late eighteenth century, as a result of the Enlightenment and also Christianity, did anyone think slavery was wrong, as opposed to unlucky or unfortunate.

Side issue, st Gregory of Nyssa (5th century) abhorred slavery. Which made him pretty unique for a long time

So the person who wants slavery taught actually believes white European traders essentially invented slavery by kidnapping black Africans?
Someone needs to study some wider history / religion / world studies methinks.

Maybe a bit of medical history would also be useful.

www.bbc.co.uk/newsround

It is actually fascinating. A lot was about the influence of religion in science, the invention of medical instruments, discoveries in science and also about politics, especially at the end of the 19th century/beginning of the 20th when it became a race between nations to discover the reasons behind illnesses and then social history like better sanitation means less thyphus and free/insured healthcare for all.

After DD did it in school we went to the Science Museum in London which has a huge gallery just for this and spend nearly 2 hours there.

That's a ridiculous straw man.

not half as ridiculous that Europeans 'hunted' for slaves.

I learned absolutely loads of relevant stuff in history

Chartism and the suffragettes
The slave trade & civil rights movement in the US
The irish troubles etc running right through to the good friday agreement
History of the welfare state - poor law, people's budget etc
British medieval history - feudalism etc
History of medicine - about vaccines, public health etc

Brits should be taught British history primarily.

Anyone can go on Wikipedia and find out enough about any history they want. A simple Google search of "India history " or "India Pakistan conflict" for example would give you the information you are looking for.

To be honest we should rather spend time teaching people how to use the internet to find information. It's probably the most important life skill of the 21st century and it's crazy how many people lack it.

The India/Pakistan problem and 90% of the Middle East issues are a direct result of British History thanks to the British establishing their empire and then British Civil servants dividing up the British Empire after WWII.

But we need to know our place in the world.

Also... on a point of order, 'Brits' tend to be taught English history.

I agree actually. Husband is Scottish, and can't believe that I was taught nothing of the Clans, Glencoe massacre, Highland Clearances and so on. I learnt about Banochburn and Stirling from Braveheart! Come to think of it, no Welsh is taught either.

You're right, we should teach about the rise and fall of the British Empire.

But don't need to teach about the 4 times Pakistan have declared war on India for example.

I've got a unit for year 7 on Owain Glendower if anyone wants it! I am not Welsh nor was the school anywhere near Wales. I thought it was interesting.

Agree with YearsofYears, Newsround is great, even as a young adult I would watch it if I didn't quite understand something or wanted more background on a news story.