As a society, we study history to find out more about our ancestors, to learn from past mistakes in order to avoid repeating them, to recall different ways of approaching things, and so we do not forget ourselves- as things become drastically different from decade to decade. Specifically, as Americans, we study history to learn about the values motives, decisions, and precedents that shaped what our country is today. This is why taking a U.S History course is required in almost all schools nation wide, as learning the basics of our history proves to be fundamental to daily American life. With this being said, the curriculum of the Advanced Placement U.S. History course that is taught in high schools around the country has sparked an intense debate in many states due to many people declaring that this course emphasizes the negative aspects of American History.

Many states are pushing to ban the AP U.S History course, claiming that the curriculum only teaches students, “what is bad about America.” Such advocates for this movement include Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Colorado. Whether each specific state wants to completely banish this course or just repair the curriculum is indefinite yet, but it is clear that all of these states feel that the this course creates, “liberal bias,” and supposedly focuses on U.S. “blemishes.” Oklahoma was the first of these states to take action, as the legislative bill, HB 1380, will ultimately eliminate funding for the course, which will eventually lead to the extinction of the AP U.S. History course - in Oklahoma and potentially across the country. Dan Fisher, the bill’s author, believes that state funds should not be used to teach the course because it highlights “what is bad about America” and that it portrays the U.S. as a “nation of oppressors and exploiters.” Specifically, some believe that the chapter regarding slavery during the 1800s is a strictly negative topic that should be removed from the curriculum; despite the major role it played in American history and the crucial lessons and ethics it teaches students today. Similarly, Georgia senators created a resolution denouncing the revised Advanced Placement U.S. History framework while simultaneously ordering the College Board to go back to using their previous A.P test, due to the course’s "consistently negative view of American history.” Georgia is also making their way towards discontinuing funding for the course.
After nearly completing the AP U.S. History course, I contrarily believe that the curriculum does not have a biased slant focusing on the cons of American history, but rather accurately informs students of all sides of American history- whether positive or negative. Clearly, many issues from our nation’s past are very controversial, but the disputes between varying viewpoints in certain issues has helped shape and mold our country into what it is today. Without touching upon these controversial topics, students will grow up without the knowledge of how their country was formed and the way certain ideals were established. For example, slavery is obviously a very contentious and often frowned upon subject, which states like Georgia and Oklahoma would believe teaching slavery would make the course focus on the U.S.’s “blemishes”. Evidently, slavery was not one of our nation’s zenithal points, but it is still a very important concept and contributing factor to our country’s ideology, ethics, morals, and principles today. If a pupil had no knowledge of slavery, they may be unaware of the wrongdoings and immorality behind it, and therefore may try to insinuate a similar institution into our country, not knowing the perils it could potentially cause. This leads to one of the recollection of history’s biggest purpose- to learn from our mistakes. As a nation, it is indisputable that we have made many mistakes in all areas, which has only made America develop as a country. If the A.P U.S. History curriculum removed all of the negative mistakes that our country has made, students would have no way to be aware of all of the past errors we have made. As a result, we students would be bound to repeat these same unfavorable mistakes. Learning from our nations’ past actions is crucial, no matter the extent of negativity they are, so that future generations do not make the same mistakes.

All things considered, I do not believe that the Advanced Placement U.S. history course is centered around the pessimistic components of America, nor does it contain a negatively biased slant. I believe that this course does a sufficient job at precisely recounting America’s history for what it’s worth, illuminating all parts of our history- not just the favorable ones, and definitely not just the repugnant ones. Moreover, I do not agree with the states who want to reform this course by removing all of the negatively described events in our history, because doing so will leave the students clueless about many events that contributed to the formation of our country’s current ideology, ethics, morals, and principles. In addition to leaving the students puzzled, taking out important historic events to portray our country in a more positive light will contradict all of a history class’ main purpose- to learn from past mistakes, which will potentially lead to many more problems in our country that could have otherwise been prevented. Moim Nadeem, an AP U.S history student in Tulsa, Oklahoma whose education has been jeopardized by this debate, states, “taking a college level class in high school, working hard to achieve your dreams, should not be controversial.” The negative impact of this debate in a student’s academics proves the immense amount of intense debate nation-wide that this issue has sparked, and clarifies its demand for a prompt resolution. It will be extremely interesting to follow this conflict to eventually see what is in store for the existence of the AP U.S. History course.