History’s Myths

Nathan Mylott
Mr. Felton
February 25, 2008

ITT Technical Institute

 The Liberty Bell
• History: On July 8, 1776, An elderly bell man
stayed in the steeple of Independence Hall
(then called the State House) awaiting word
that Congress had declared independence.
When the announcement was made, he rang
the bell and all the people came out to
celebrate. The bell cracked and never rang
again.

• Fact: This is a fictional story written by George

Lippard in 1847 for The Saturday Currier. The
bell did not crack until a group of abolitionists
rang it in 1846 in a slavery protest.

ITT Technical Institute

 Lincoln’s Birthplace
• History: Abraham Lincoln was born
in this tiny cabin, which is now on
display in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

• Fact: This cabin was built 30 years

after Lincoln died, first displayed at
a World’s Fair on Coney Island.

ITT Technical Institute

 The Manhattan Purchase
• History: The Dutch bought all of Manhattan Island
for $24 worth of beads from native Americans in
1626.

• Fact: The Dutch traded $2400 worth of weapons,

tools and supplies to the Canarsies who did not
own or live on Manhattan. The Weckquaesgeeks
did live there and did not want to move. So the
Dutch and the Canarsies began slaughtering them
and had exterminated most of them by the 1640’s
when finally the Dutch paid the survivors.

Monument marking the historic event

in lower Manhattan
ITT Technical Institute
 “A Most Horrible Indian
Massacre”
• History: In 1861, 300 immigrants
moving westward through Idaho
were slaughtered by native
Americans. Only 5 survived.

• Fact: No such massacre ever

occurred. The monument was put up
in 1938.
ITT Technical Institute
 Columbus proved the world is
round
• History: Columbus sailed west to
prove that the world is round.

• Fact: Washington Irving, who

created Rip Van Winkle, wrote the
flat earth tale in 1828 in a biography
of Columbus. History book authors
picked up the story and have been
copying each other ever since. Statue of Columbus and Queen
Isabella in Sacramento, CA. Columbus
ITT Technical Institute
never even made it that far.
 George Washington and the
Cherry Tree
• History: As a little boy, Washington was playing
with his hatchet and chipped the bark of his
father’s favorite cherry tree, causing it to die.
When asked who did it, little George said “I
cannot tell a lie, father,” and confessed. His
father was so moved by his honesty that he
was not mad.

• Fact: This is a fictional short story written by

Parson Weems around 1903 when a memorial
chapel was erected at Valley Forge with
artwork depicting Washington knelt in prayer,
which is another fiction Weems wrote.
ITT Technical Institute
 Betsy Ross and the First Flag

• History: In June, 1776 George Washington

visited Betsy Ross along with Robert Morris and
George Ross (Betsy’s Uncle). She showed them
how to fold fabric to cut a star with one snip. She
was asked to create the new nation’s first flag.

• Fact: This story was first told in 1870 by Betsy’s

grandson and he even was not sure of its validity.
Though she was a flag maker, most historians do
not believe she made the first flag. There were
also several other flags waved by patriots as they
rode into battle with the British.

ITT Technical Institute

 Paul Revere’s Ride
• History: Paul Revere rode through the
countryside shouting “the British are coming!”,
which alerted the slumbering and unsuspecting
militiamen to prepare for the first battle of the
Revolutionary War.

• Fact: Revere was one of several people who

rode out and notified colonists. The militiamen
were not sleeping unaware. They had been
preparing for this and were ready to go when
Revere and others shouted “call to arms!” The
story of Revere was made popular in 1861 by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

ITT Technical Institute

 Molly Pitcher
• History: At the Battle of Monmouth on June
28, 1778, fought in sweltering heat, this
woman brought water to the troops and
cooled the cannons so they could continue to
fire. When her husband fell wounded, she
took his place firing the cannon so that it
would not have to be pulled from battle. Her
real name was Mary Hayes and she was
commended by Washington personally.

• Fact: IF the story is true, the name Mary

Hayes was given to the legend in 1876 at the
centennial celebration based on the word of a
promoter from Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

ITT Technical Institute

 Patrick Henry
• History: Patrick Henry gave an
inspirational speech in which
he declared “give me liberty or
give me death.”

• Fact: This speech was written

in 1817 by William Writ, 42
years after the supposed event.
Patrick Henry’s speech, painted in 1834.
ITT Technical Institute
Why do history textbooks lie?
• Sensationalism.
• Most of these stories are found in textbooks at the
elementary, middle school, and high school levels;
students that need to be persuaded to learn. Write
interesting stories, capture their interest so they want
to learn.
• A need for heroes to worship.
• To cover up an ugly truth such as the Dutch slaughter
of native Americans and theft of their land.
ITT Technical Institute
 What does this teach us?

• Absolutely nothing can be taken as absolute

fact no matter how reputable the source.
• Everything you read and hear still goes
through a human filter; stories are affected by
personal bias and a simple need to create
interesting stories.
• Question everything, even the sources that
claim these stories in history are false.
ITT Technical Institute
 References
•• George
George Washington's
Washington's Story
Story about
about thethe Cherry
Cherry Tree-
Tree- Presidents'
Presidents' DayDay Legends
Legends forfor kids.
kids. (n.d.).
(n.d.). Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.
Feb. 23,
23, 2008,
2008, from
from
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/george-washington/short-stories/the-cherry-tree.html.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/george-washington/short-stories/the-cherry-tree.html.
•• History
History News
News Network.
Network. (n.d.).
(n.d.). Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.Feb. 28,
28, 2008,
2008, from
from hnn.us/articles/7219.html.
hnn.us/articles/7219.html.
•• In
In What
What Ways
Ways We We Are
Are Warped.
Warped. (n.d.).
(n.d.). Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.
Feb. 23,
23, 2008,
2008, from
from http://www.uvm.edu/~jloewen/slideshowdisplay.php?
http://www.uvm.edu/~jloewen/slideshowdisplay.php?
slide=6.
slide=6.
•• Lewis,
Lewis, J. (n.d.). Myths
Myths of
of Women's
Women's History:
History: Betsy
Betsy Ross
Ross and
and the
the First
First Flag.
Flag. Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.
Feb. 23,
23, 2008,
2008, from
from
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/mythsofwomenshistory/a/betsy_ross_flag.htm.
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/mythsofwomenshistory/a/betsy_ross_flag.htm.
•• Liberty
Liberty Bell.
Bell. (n.d.).
(n.d.). Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.
Feb. 23, 2008, from http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/.
http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/.
•• Live
Live Search
Search Images:
Images: Paul
Paul Revere.
Revere. (n.d.).
(n.d.). Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.
Feb. 23,
23, 2008,
2008, from
from http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?
http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?
q=Paul+Revere&form=QBIR#focal=f25dab70e02edac5682bbfd13a1a4296&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.talktosteve.com
q=Paul+Revere&form=QBIR#focal=f25dab70e02edac5682bbfd13a1a4296&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.talktosteve.com
%2Femail%2F2004_05_17%2Fimages%2Fpaul_revere.jpg.
%2Femail%2F2004_05_17%2Fimages%2Fpaul_revere.jpg.
•• Live
Live Search
Search Images:
Images: The
The first
first flag.
flag. (n.d.).
(n.d.). Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.
Feb. 23,
23, 2008,
2008, from
from http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?
http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?
q=The+first+flag&mkt=en-us#focal=f61b9148f497f924ef7c9a2525e71f32&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fmemory.loc.gov
q=The+first+flag&mkt=en-us#focal=f61b9148f497f924ef7c9a2525e71f32&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fmemory.loc.gov
%2Fammem%2Ftoday%2Fimages%2F0614betsy.jpg.
%2Fammem%2Ftoday%2Fimages%2F0614betsy.jpg.
•• Live
Live Search
Search Images:
Images: patrick
patrick henry.
henry. (n.d.).
(n.d.). Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.
Feb. 23,
23, 2008,
2008, from
from http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?
http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?
q=patrick+henry&mkt=en-us#focal=b9cad0f965e7a108cd00edc6712e853d&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vahistorical.org
q=patrick+henry&mkt=en-us#focal=b9cad0f965e7a108cd00edc6712e853d&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vahistorical.org
%2Fov%2Fhenry1.jpg.
%2Fov%2Fhenry1.jpg.
•• Molly
Molly Pitcher.
Pitcher. (n.d.).
(n.d.). Retrieved
Retrieved Feb.
Feb. 23,
23, 2008,
2008, from
from http://sill-www.army.mil/pao/pamolly.htm.
http://sill-www.army.mil/pao/pamolly.htm.

ITT Technical Institute