Our Big, Fat History Problem

Apparently, nobody wants to face the facts, but I do.

Here’s a cold, hard fact: Interest in American history has never been lower. Schools are afraid to even teach it, and when they do it’s mostly dry facts and dates. Or, worse—political concepts!

On the other hand, this is a magazine I have been reading since the mid-50s. I have always loved the great stories of bravery and drama in our shared history. My original partner, the late, great Bob McCubbin, was a charter subscriber in 1953. (And, it should be noted, he was 12 years old at the time!) Whenever we got together, we would invariably go back to the beginning and wonder, how did True West capture us so early and so completely? I believe the answer to that question is the answer to our current problem.

Well, for one thing, it wasn’t because of the facts. The truth is not facts lined up. If you don’t believe me, go ask Ted Turner who spent $90 million on Gods and Generals. He optioned a great book, hired a fantastic cast, filmed great battles with 8,000 extras, but, as a withering review put it, “It didn’t have a point.” It made back a piddly $12 million. And here is the reason: it didn’t have a compelling story. We need to tell better stories! Has our history been picked clean? Hardly. Are there new ways into old stories? Yes, read Brad Courtney’s groundbreaking research on the many trails Doc Holliday went down before he landed in Tombstone (July/August 2024 TW).

So, let’s review: how do we fix our history problem? We need to tell better stories. That is the mandate, that is the trick, that is the future. “I’ll see you there. Or, will I?” he said, closing on a cliffhanger.