Reimagining Military History in the Classroom

Abstract

The military history of the United States represents an essential thread in the full cloth of American history. Without it, the entire fabric of American history may unravel. Still, especially since the Vietnam era—and despite significant popular interest in the subject—it slowly has lost its place in the nation's primary and secondary classrooms. The current National Standards for United States History include little instruction on some of the most transformative events in American history. In the formative years of the American historical profession before World War I, military history enjoyed an influential position. Military professionals such as Alfred Thayer Mahan served as president of the American Historical Association (AHA), and professional historical associations pondered at length—as the AHA did in 1913—“Who Shall Write Our Military History?” Especially since the Vietnam era, however, the study and teaching of military history on the college and university level has dropped off dramatically....