The Patchwork of World History in Texas High Schools : Unpacking Eurocentrism, Imperialism, and Nationalism in the Curriculum, 1920-2021

This book traces the historical development of the World History course as it has been taught in high school classrooms in Texas, a populous and nationally influential state, over the last hundred years. Arguing that the course is a result of a patchwork of competing groups and ideas that have intersected over the past century, with each new framework patched over but never completely erased or replaced, the author crucially examines themes of imperialism, Eurocentrism, and nationalism in both textbooks and the curriculum more broadly. The first part of the book presents an overview of the World History course supported by numerical analysis of textbook content and public documents, while the second focuses on the depiction of non-Western peoples, and persistent narratives of Eurocentrism and nationalism. It ultimately offers that a more global, accurate, and balanced curriculum is possible, despite the tension between the ideas of professional world historians, who often de-center the nation-state in their quest for a truly global approach to the subject, and the historical core rationale of state-sponsored education in the United States: to produce loyal citizens. Offering a new, conceptual understanding of how colonial themes in World History curriculum have been dealt with in the past and are now engaged with in contemporary times, it provides essential context for scholars and educators with interests in the history of education, curriculum studies, and the teaching of World History in the United States. This book traces the historical development of the World History course as it has been taught in high school classrooms in Texas, a populous and nationally influential state, over the last hundred years. Cover 1 Endorsement Page 2 Half Title 4 Series Page 5 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Dedication 8 Table of Contents 10 Acknowledgments 10 Chapter 1: Introduction: A Course Burdened with the Weight of the World 14 Why Is World History Vitally Important? 17 Too Big to Fail? Criticisms of the World History Course 18 Framing the Evolution of World History with the Texas Case Study 22 Organization 26 Notes 28 Bibliography 37 Chapter 2: History’s Orphan, 1920s–1970s 45 The Origins of World History in Texas 47 Tradition, Disruption, and Reaction in World History: 1949–1980 56 Conclusion 63 Notes 64 Bibliography 70 Chapter 3: Standardizing the World, 1980–Present 74 Legislating Essentials: House Bills 246 and 72 77 TEKS, TAKS, and Politicized Attacks 81 “For a Free Society: History is Everything” 92 86 Conclusion 90 Notes 91 Bibliography 97 Chapter 4: Modernizing Heroes and Traditional Villains: Eurocentrism in Action 101 The Tenacity of Eurocentric Historical Thinking 102 The Never-Ending Decline of the Ottoman Empire 107 Incomplete Imitation: Narratives of Modern Japan in Texas World History Textbooks 113 Conclusion 118 Notes 119 Bibliography 124 Chapter 5: The Wake-Up Call of Empire 128 World History Textbook Depictions of Imperialism 130 American Imperialism? 139 Conclusion: Imperialism as a Modernizing Force in World History 146 Notes 147 Bibliography 152 Chapter 6: Modern Problems 157 Interwar Anxiety: Was the United States Up to the Challenge of the Modern World? 160 Bipolarity and the Triumph of Western Civilization, 1950s–1980s 165 Contemporary Events in the Era of the TEKS 170 Conclusion 174 Notes 176 Bibliography 179 Conclusion: Whither High School World History in Texas? 182 Notes 187 Bibliography 189 Appendix A: Texas World History Textbooks by Adoption Period 192 1925–1930 192 1930–1935 192 1935–1939 193 1939–1947 193 1948–1954 194 1954–1962 194 1962–1971 194 1971–1977 194 1977–1983 195 1984–1990 195 1990–1999 195 1999–2003 196 2003–2016 196 2016–2022/23 197 Note 197 Appendix B: Officially Approved Curricula in Texas 198 Appendix C: Textbook Content by the Numbers 200 Notes 213 Index 214 academic,discipline;,American,capitalism;,American,nationalism;,Eurocentrism;,Meiji,Japan;,modern,imperialism;,non-Western,world;,Ottoman,Empire;,parliamentary,democracy;,State,Board,of,Education;,Texas,high,schools;,traditional,curriculum;,United,States;,Western,Civilization;,World,History academic discipline,American capitalism,American nationalism,Eurocentrism,Meiji Japan,modern imperialism,non-Western world,Ottoman Empire,parliamentary democracy,State Board of Education,Texas high schools,traditional curriculum,United States,Western Civilization,World History "This book traces the historical development of the World History course as it has been taught in high school classrooms in Texas, a populous and nationally influential state, over the last hundred years. Arguing that the course is a result of a patchwork of competing groups and ideas that have intersected over the past century, with each new framework patched over but never completely erased or replaced, the author crucially examines themes of imperialism, Eurocentrism, and nationalism in both textbooks and the curriculum more broadly. The first part of the book presents an overview of the World History course supported by numerical analysis of textbook content and public documents, whilst the second focuses on the depiction of non-Western peoples, and persistent narratives of Eurocentrism and nationalism. It ultimately offers that a more global, accurate and balanced curriculum is possible, despite the tension between the ideas of professional world historians, who often de-center the nation-state in their quest for a truly global approach to the subject, and the historical core rationale of state-sponsored education in the United States: to produce loyal citizens. Offering a new, conceptual understanding of how colonial themes in world history curriculum have been dealt with in the past and are now engaged with in contemporary times, it provides essential context for scholars and educators with interests in the history of education, curriculum studies, and the teaching of World History in the United States"-- Provided by publisher This book traces the historical development of the World History course as it has been taught in high school classrooms in Texas, a populous and nationally influential state, over the last hundred years. The author argues that the course has dynamically evolved to reflect a patchwork of competing visions that have intersected over the past century, with each new framework partially but never completely erasing or replacing those that came before. The first part of the book presents an overview of the World History course supported by a numerical analysis of textbook content and public documents, whilst the second focuses on the depiction of non-Western peoples, and persistent narratives of Eurocentrism, imperialism, and nationalism. It ultimately concludes that a more global, accurate, and balanced curriculum is possible, despite the tension between the ideas of professional world historians, who often de-center the nation-state in their quest for a truly global approach to the subject, and the historical core rationale of state-sponsored education in the United States: to produce loyal citizens. Offering a new, conceptual understanding of how colonial themes in world history curriculum have been dealt with in the past and are now engaged with in contemporary times, it provides essential context for scholars and educators with interests in the history of education, curriculum studies, and the teaching of World History in the United States.