Forgetting Quote by James W. Loewen
![“Another result of the War of 1812 was the loss of part of our history. As historian Bruce Johansen put it, "A century of learning [from Native Americans] was coming to a close. A century and more of forgetting--of calling history into service to rationalize conquest--was beginning." After 1815…” quote by James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b88/james-w-loewen-12569_forgetting_another-result-of-the-war-of-1812-was-th_2288641.jpg)
““Another result of the War of 1812 was the loss of part of our history. As historian Bruce Johansen put it, "A century of learning [from Native Americans] was coming to a close. A century and more of forgetting--of calling history into service to rationalize conquest--was beginning." After 1815 American Indians could no longer play what sociologists call the role of conflict partner--an important other who must be taken into account--so Americans forgot that Natives had ever been significant in our history. Even terminology changed: until 1815 the word Americans had generally been used to refer to Native Americans; after 1815 it meant European Americans.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Lies My Teacher Told Me, James W. Loewen, 2007
The 1812 war erased Native American contributions from U.S. history, reshaping language and collective memory.
In simple terms: History was rewritten to ignore Native Americans.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and restore omitted histories.
Themes
history
memory
colonialism
identity
revisionism
Mood
critical
educational
Type
historical
analytical
When to use this quote
- Education curricula
- museum exhibits
- public policy
- community storytelling
Key Concepts
Postcolonial studies
historical narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- What stories are missing from your community’s history?
- How can we responsibly integrate them?
A Different Perspective
Changing narratives can meet resistance from entrenched perspectives.
![“No matter how thoroughly Native Americans acculturated, they could not succeed in white society. Whites would not let them. "Indians were always regarded as aliens, and were rarely allowed to live within white society except on its periphery," according to [Gary] Nash. Native Americans who amassed…” quote by James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/31e/james-w-loewen-12569_acculturated_no-matter-how-thoroughly-native-american_489063.jpg)
