Happy slaves? The peculiar story of three Virginia school textbooks

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Happy slaves? The peculiar story of three Virginia school textbooks
  • BY REX SPRINGSTON
  • Apr 15, 2018

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In 1957, Fred Eichelman began teaching seventh-grade history in Roanoke County. He was using a shiny new state-commissioned textbook.

It wasn't long before Eichelman and even some students noticed some peculiarities.

The textbook said slaves were happy, often referring to them as servants. It glorified Confederates. And it said precious little about women beyond Martha Washington and Pocahontas.

"It makes you wonder how we got so many Virginians, with so few women," quipped Eichelman, now 82.


www.richmond.com/discover-richmond/happy-slaves-the-peculiar-story-of-three-virginia-school-textbooks/article_47e79d49-eac8-575d-ac9d-1c6fce52328f.html

Edited for copyright issues by moderator JerseyBart

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