Harriet Tubman was a great hero, but she did not shape society. Marbury v. Madison established judicial review, which allows the SC to strike down laws as unconstitutional. That’s massive. Brown v. Board of Education or Roe v. Wade rely on that.
Judicial review has been adopted by republics around the world (though not all). Writing as a European, I believe it’s a greatly underappreciated US contribution to global culture and the cause of democracy and human rights.
I’m not sure what kids should be taught about Tubman. Generally, I don’t think hero stories have much to say on society or history. Tubman makes for a good exception, as her story teaches the lesson that African-Americans and women were not merely passive objects of history but people who made their own decisions. It also teaches us that there are things that even the supposedly powerless can do. Even so, how much of her actual biography belongs in a social studies text?
Harriet Tubman was a great hero, but she did not shape society. Marbury v. Madison established judicial review, which allows the SC to strike down laws as unconstitutional. That’s massive. Brown v. Board of Education or Roe v. Wade rely on that.
Judicial review has been adopted by republics around the world (though not all). Writing as a European, I believe it’s a greatly underappreciated US contribution to global culture and the cause of democracy and human rights.
That is literally all a 14-year-old needs to know about it.
What are they actually taught about MvM?
I’m not sure what kids should be taught about Tubman. Generally, I don’t think hero stories have much to say on society or history. Tubman makes for a good exception, as her story teaches the lesson that African-Americans and women were not merely passive objects of history but people who made their own decisions. It also teaches us that there are things that even the supposedly powerless can do. Even so, how much of her actual biography belongs in a social studies text?