Why do Americans love to fight about history and education? As the culture wars consume all aspects of American political life, history and civics education has been a central battlefield. The process is accelerated by differing understandings of history, the purpose of education, and the shifting nature of our modern information ecosystem.  History is political because it intersects with individual identity, community, and patriotism. These politics often play out in the civics classroom. 

Americans fight about history, in part, because although they look to history to provide them with a common national narrative and memories that bind together their communities and nation, they cannot agree on what that story should be. Nor can they agree on what history means. Is it an academic discipline? Is it commemoration? Does history serve power, or does it question authority? What does this mean for the history classroom? How does our ever-evolving digital information landscape inform these discussions?

As educators and citizens, we need to think hard about these questions. Explanatory Footnotes seeks to provide background for teachers, students, and citizens to navigate the history wars of the 21st century.