What They Didn't Teach You in American History Class

For the average person, most of the American history that he or she knows comes from facts taught to them in school to prepare them for their state mandated tests. That's not the fault of their teachers who were just carrying out the directives of their employers. But it's also a fact that a great deal of that content that they were teaching is dry and boring. However, as in every aspect of life, there is always another story behind each major event. The story of America is interesting and exciting, but it's those lesser known parts of our history that make it special.
Even though in most cases, the names and events in the book will be recognizable, most of the stories about them will be new to the reader. If you're a young teacher, perhaps you'll find some material to help you get through those less-than-exciting areas of your textbook. If you hated history as a student, maybe you'll find some of these tales entertaining. For those of you who are history buffs, hopefully you'll come across a few things that are new to you.

For thirty-one years, Mike Henry taught American History to students at all levels of the educational spectrum from elementary school to college. Since the inception of No Child Left Behind,he averaged a success rate of more than 80% on state mandated testing at a school where the majority of the students were at the poverty level. Mike is a two-time award winner of Who's Who Among America's Classroom Teachers. Following his retirement, he wrote Black History: More Than Just A Month, published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Let's Try This Again-They were Looking for China and Japan but Ended up in America?
Chapter 2: Remember, One if by Land, Two if by Sea? No, this is Not a Math Question!
Chapter 3: George Washington . . . Some Say that it was because of His Teeth but if You had His Problems, You wouldn't be Smiling Either
Chapter 4: If the British Set Fire to the White House, Why didn't the Smoke Detectors Go Off?
Chapter 5: Americans Won their Freedom on Battles Fought in the East. So When it was Over, They Moved West. Sure, That Makes Sense.
Chapter 6: The Civil War: America's Real Family Feud
Chapter 7: Following the War, America Lived Happily Ever After for the Next Few Years
Chapter 8: The Inventors: If You Build It, Someone Will Probably Show Up
Chapter 9: If it was the 20th Century, then why was it in the 1900s?
Chapter 10: You Mean John Wayne didn't Win the War for Our Side?
Chapter 11: Hey Grandpa . . . Were You a Hippie?
Chapter 12: The 1980s and 1990s, Or, As we Call it, The Days When Machines Took Over the Country
Chapter 13: Y2K . . . Was that like the First Cell Phone?
Chapter 14: Internal Briefings: The Presidency
Chapter 15: One More Time! As History Repeats
Chapter 16: Unfinished Business
Bibliography