Why it matters: Red states in recent years have enacted laws aimed at limiting classroom discussions of slavery and Native American removal, while pushing a positive, nationalist version of U.S. history. Historians say that’s a dangerous path.
- Misinformation about U.S. history also has spread on social media, historians say.
Catch up quick: The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) this month blocked a new Advanced Placement course for high school students on African American studies. Florida education officials said it “lacks educational value.”
- Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed an executive order prohibiting “indoctrination and critical race theory in schools.”
- At least 14 states enacted legislation to limit the teaching of “divisive concepts” or CRT in 2021 and 2022, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
- The right’s focus on history lessons accelerated during former President Donald Trump’s term as he defended Confederate monuments and steered a report from his “1776 Commission” that only focused on positive U.S. history.
What they’re saying: “Anything that only speaks to the good parts of the country and ignores the flaws, that focuses more on aspirations than execution, is not history. It’s propaganda,” Kruse told Axios.