--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is possible, reading standard…" description: "\"It is possible, reading standard histories, to forget half the population of the country. The explorers were men, the landholders and merchants men, th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/howard-zinn-576_country_it-is-possible-reading-standard-historie_2536841.jpg" --- # It is possible, reading standard histories, to forget half… ![“It is possible, reading standard histories, to forget half the population of the country. The explorers were men, the landholders and merchants men, the political leaders men, the military figures men. The very invisibility of women, the overlooking of women, is a sign of their submerged status.” quote by Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/howard-zinn-576_country_it-is-possible-reading-standard-historie_2536841.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/howard-zinn-576_country_it-is-possible-reading-standard-historie_2536841.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/howard-zinn-576_country_it-is-possible-reading-standard-historie_2536841.jpg) > “It is possible, reading standard histories, to forget half the population of the country. The explorers were men, the landholders and merchants men, the political leaders men, the military figures men. The very invisibility of women, the overlooking of women, is a sign of their submerged status.” [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historical narratives often marginalize women, erasing their contributions and reinforcing gender bias. **In simple terms:** Women are omitted from history. Key Takeaway Recognize and integrate women's roles. Themes history gender inclusion power bias Mood reflective educational Type historical analytical When to use this quote - education - policy making - media representation Key Concepts feminist theory social history archival research Questions to Reflect On - What stories of women remain untold? - How can curricula become more inclusive? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on men can skew understanding of societal development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Explorers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explorers/) [Explorers Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explorers-men-1396519/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-population-1271638/) [Histories Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/histories-forget-1396518/) [Invisibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisibility/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Merchants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merchants/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Overlooking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overlooking/) [Overlooking Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overlooking-women-1396520/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leader/) [Political leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-leaders/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Submerged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/submerged/) ## Related quotes > [“Forgiveness allows the burdens that we carry to become the histories that we forget.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/forgiveness-allows-the-burdens-that-we-carry-to-become-the-histories/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [We can't expect to effectively move forward with half the population carrying sandbags.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-fleshman/we-can-t-expect-to-effectively-move-forward-with-half-the-population/) [Lauren Fleshman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-fleshman/) > [Numerically speaking, half the population cannot be a minority. Yet when it comes to women, the numbers plainly show that the mathematically impossible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-tzemach-lemmon/numerically-speaking-half-the-population-cannot-be-a-minority-yet/) [Gayle Tzemach Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-tzemach-lemmon/) > [There's no way New Orleans will ever be the city it was. I think it will have half the population. They may create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldo-rivera/there-s-no-way-new-orleans-will-ever-be-the-city-it-was-i-think-it/) [Geraldo Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldo-rivera/) > [Half the population of the entire world is women, and people are somehow shocked that this entire half is as capable as the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamath-palihapitiya/half-the-population-of-the-entire-world-is-women-and-people-are/) [Chamath Palihapitiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamath-palihapitiya/) > [A culture that doesn't respect half its population will never prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wafa-sultan/a-culture-that-doesn-t-respect-half-its-population-will-never-prosper/) [Wafa Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wafa-sultan/) > [There's something hypocritical about a city that keeps half of its population underground half of the time; you can start believing that there's much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-naylor/there-s-something-hypocritical-about-a-city-that-keeps-half-of-its/) [Gloria Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-naylor/) > [Women are half the population of the world, and yet there are so few female characters on-screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/women-are-half-the-population-of-the-world-and-yet-there-are-so-few/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [Half the population hold that the government is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves, as polls regularly show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/half-the-population-hold-that-the-government-is-run-by-a-few-big/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“After all, it takes two to create a relationship, and when you make half the population invisible, the other half suffers as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/after-all-it-takes-two-to-create-a-relationship-and-when-you-make/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [It's never a good idea to organize society in a way that depletes the energy of half the population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/it-s-never-a-good-idea-to-organize-society-in-a-way-that-depletes-the/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Yet food is something that is taken for granted by most world leaders despite the fact that more than half of the population of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-borlaug/yet-food-is-something-that-is-taken-for-granted-by-most-world-leaders/) [Norman Borlaug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-borlaug/) > [Government is so big today that more than half the population gets a major part of its income from the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/government-is-so-big-today-that-more-than-half-the-population-gets-a/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [We will no longer be led only by that half of the population whose socialization, through toys, games, values and expectations, sanctions violence as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilma-scott-heide/we-will-no-longer-be-led-only-by-that-half-of-the-population-whose/) [Wilma Scott Heide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilma-scott-heide/) > [We know we only have about half of our population that's voting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-huerta/we-know-we-only-have-about-half-of-our-population-that-s-voting/) [Dolores Huerta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-huerta/) ## More by Howard Zinn > [“A black man, Benjamin Banneker, who taught himself mathematics and astronomy, predicted accurately a solar eclipse, and was appointed to plan the new city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/a-black-man-benjamin-banneker-who-taught-himself-mathematics-and/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/there-is-no-flag-large-enough-to-cover-the-shame-of-killing-innocent/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“a good education is a synthesis of book learning and involvement in social action, because each enrich the other. 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Not overwhelming evidence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-can-understand-pessimism-but-i-don-t-believe-in-it-it-s-not-simply/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it. It is a corrective to the sluggishness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/protest-beyond-the-law-is-not-a-departure-from-democracy-it-is/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Now I have been studying very closely what happens every day in the courts in Boston, Massachusetts. You would be astounded--maybe you wouldn't, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/now-i-have-been-studying-very-closely-what-happens-every-day-in-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [They were not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, they were absent in the Constitution and they were invisible in the new political democracy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/they-were-not-mentioned-in-the-declaration-of-independence-they-were/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Sexual purity was to be the special virtue of a woman. It was assumed that men, as a matter of biological nature, would sin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/sexual-purity-was-to-be-the-special-virtue-of-a-woman-it-was-assumed/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Middle-class Americans might be invited to join a new elite by attacks against the corruption of the established rich. The New Yorker Cadwallader Colden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/middle-class-americans-might-be-invited-to-join-a-new-elite-by/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/if-those-in-charge-of-our-society-politicians-corporate-executives/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [We were not born critical of existing society. There was a moment in our lives (or a month, or a year) when certain facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/we-were-not-born-critical-of-existing-society-there-was-a-moment-in/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Behind the deceptive words designed to entice people into supporting violence -- words like democracy, freedom, self-defense, national security -- there is the reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/behind-the-deceptive-words-designed-to-entice-people-into-supporting/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“George Washington had turned down the requests of blacks, seeking freedom, to fight in the Revolutionary army. So when the British military commander in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/george-washington-had-turned-down-the-requests-of-blacks-seeking/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) [Explore all 461 Howard Zinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## More Country quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/) [Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/) > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) [Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is possible, reading standard histories, to forget half the population of the country. 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