Column by Devon Proudfoot
Misconceptions in History
Devon Proudfoot
Thanksgiving
2/25/2013- Thinking back to elementary school, students often remember an oversimplified version of certain historical events. The most popular story comes about late in the fall, as children get ready to go home and celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. As kids make hand turkeys and talk about what they are thankful for, teachers tell them the story of the first Thanksgiving.
The Freeing of the Slaves
2/11/2013- History may seem like a simple subject to understand, but in reality it is much more than meets the eye. A single historical event can have many different interpretations, but normally a single story or master narrative stands out and develops. The problem with this is that some times this narrative is not the most accurate portrayal of the event, or is over simplified, or even just false. The only way to become more knowledgeable about the world’s past is if we question the stories that we have been taught in school…
Napoleon Bonapart
3/18/2013- While Napoleon had a rather elevated career and influence over the modern world, he was not portrayed the same way. Although nearly every historical figure has been inaccurately depicted through political cartoons, none of them caught on as quickly as the image of Napoleon. Typically the cartoons depicted him as a short man with an over-sized hat and as a sort of bossy character. So many of these images of an under-sized commander appeared that many believed Napoleon to be an extremely short man.This portrayal became so popular that the idea of the “Napoleonic Complex” became a psychological occurrence in people. This phrase was used to describe people who were extremely authoritative and aggressive in order to make up for their small stature. Many short men had this phrase used to describe them if they acted in the same way that Napoleon had been represented in these caricatures. This idea helped to push the view of this tiny, yet powerful commander.
The Cave 