Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past (Paperback)

~ Ray Raphael (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Patrick Henry never said, "Give me liberty or give me death!" In fact, no record exists of what he said in his powerful call to arms of March 23, 1775. And Molly Pitcher never took her husband’s place at a cannon after he fell at the Battle of Monmouth. Historian Raphael dissects these and 11 other myths of the American Revolution to uncover the truth of these famous events and the significance of their conversion into myth. These tales, argues Raphael, represent 19th-century ideals of "romantic individualism" more than the communitarian ideals of the revolutionary era. Raphael (A People’s History of the American Revolution) continues in his populist vein by arguing that these myths, rather than encouraging patriotism and heroism, actually "take away our power," leaving us "in awe of superhuman stars" like Washington or Jefferson and "discouraging ordinary citizens from acting on their own behalf." This is arguable, but advocates of history as seen from below will find the author’s point of view appealing. And all students of American history will find Raphael’s correction of the historical record instructive and enjoyable. Illus.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School - If a high school history teacher were to ask his class when the Declaration of Independence was signed, he undoubtedly would hear a chorus call out, "July 4, 1776." But what percentage of students, or teachers for that matter,would know that as of August 1, only John Hancock had actually signed the document? And how many would know that at least 14 men who were not even in Philadelphia on July 4 are recorded in the Congressional Journal as signing it on that well-remembered date? But sign it they did, and what does it matter what the actual date was? Raphael thoroughly delineates the creation of the fictive July 4 signing, including intentional lies and omissions in the "official" Congressional Journal. The chief impetus behind this doctoring of history was simply to have a neat, unmistakable date for national celebration. The author goes on to expose numerous myths before, during, and after the Revolution revolving around Paul Revere's ride, Valley Forge, Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech, the Battle of Yorktown, and several others. In each case, Raphael outlines the myth, reveals what really happened, and, most importantly, argues why we must move past historical nonsense so that a truer, more democratic national record can emerge. Academic historians have long known these truths. Raphael deserves praise for his efforts to have that knowledge trickle down to the rest of us. Toward that end, he offers a "Note to Teachers," including a Web site with grade-appropriate lesson plans. - Robert Saunderson, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: New Press; 1 edition (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595580735
• ISBN-13: 978-1595580733
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #357,470 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good, August 23, 2005

By	R Smith "R Smith" (chicago, il) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past (Hardcover)

I really like reading about the founding fathers and colonial/revolutionary history. After reading this and Raphael's other two Revolutionary era books, however, I don't think I will see things in the same way.

The fact is that many of the "revolutionary ideas" the founding fathers espoused had been around for years and were not that revolutionary after all (except for some of their ideas on religion, to which some were either indifferent or openly hostile); Massachusetts was basically an independent state before the Declaration of Independence without the help or assistance of the founding fathers; and that the people, not a group of 8 or so rich guys, played a much more important role in America's independence (in fact, like today, the rich didn't even fight - they bought their way out).

The main point of this book is that our current views of history allow us to disregard the contributions of the many, who bear the most costs, to the benefit of the few, who bear little if any cost (I doubt any of the soldiers fighting in today's wars will see any oil money, while the president and his friends, who have never fought in any wars, will benefit handsomly).

The fact that people, not the rich, were the main drivers behind the revolution is a revolutionary idea. What could be more patriotic than that?

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some other reviewers are missing the point..., August 26, 2008

By	L. F. Smith (E. Wenatchee, WA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past (Hardcover)

Some of the reviewers critical of this book are missing the point. The author does indeed debunk some of the mythic events of our revolutionary past. However, his purpose is NOT to prove that the founders were somehow evil, or to argue that the US is not a great nation, or to make young Americans cynical, or even to show off by attacking other historians.

Rather, he's arguing that the founding myths-- the amazing (and often fictional) achievements of people like Paul Revere, Molly Pitcher, Patrick Henry, etc.-- obscure an important reality: The American Revolution was one of the broadest-based political movements in human history, and all of the patriots who participated deserve credit, not just the "heroes."

Why does this matter at all? Because the genius of the American idea is that we are both a nation of "the people" and a nation of individuals. Focusing on individual accomplishments obscures the truly amazing nature of the accomplishments of the founding generation as a collective whole.

Further, some of the myths Raphael debunks actually distort our history in important ways. For example, the myth that the Revolution essentially ended with the British surrender at Yorktown denies the important reality that the fighting continued for more than a year afterward, and the outcome was very much in doubt for that whole time. The myth that all of the fighting in the Revolution was British vs. American patriots ignores the reality that in the southern colonies, the Revolution was a vicious civil war between American loyalists and American patriots, a struggle that was to have consequences for the next hundred years.

Those who see this book as the explication of some sort of egalitarian bias are welcome to their views. However, the simple fact is that Raphael is correct. All of his analyses and assertions are supported by ample documentation, and I'd be interested in seeing the sources that the reviewers who are attacking him are relying on.

This book is well worth reading and thinking about. I recommend it highly.

26 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Shoot the Messenger, October 9, 2004

By	Seachranaiche (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past (Hardcover)

It is quite unsettling when the historical "truths" we believe to be absolute turn out to be embellishments, myths, or outright fabrications. We believe the Revolutionary War and the Founding Fathers to be sacred; they are beyond reproach. The truth is tough to take, but as Ray Raphael explains in great detail, the embellishment of any individual act of heroism during the Founding period of our nation cannot detract from the hundreds or thousands of acts of heroism that went on daily but just didn't make it into the history books. Often, the embellishments or myths that have evolved around a particularly famous event actually serve to portray that event as less exceptional than it really was. Many episodes from the Founding have been mythologized not from a desire to cover up the truth, but to convert what was a complex struggle into streamlined stories that could be passed down to children. This is why we must always be skeptical of oral traditions that are assumed to be fact: They are going to have been embellished; it is impossible for them not to have been. They may tell a great story or pass on an important moral, but allowing them to become dogma only conceals the truth.

Despite its flippant cover, Founding Myths is not light reading. Raphael does examine a few of the more recognized Founding stories, but he writes as if he is on a crusade, and before long he is delving deeply into the characters and motivations of the Founding Fathers themselves. He cites his sources, and I am sure he has done his research, but his interpretations are completely egalitarian: There seems to be no room in his worldview for individual impetus or catalysis. If any individual Founder acted in a particularly prescient or heroic way, he could only have done so because his constituents ordered him to. The Patriots rose up as one, in other words, the Founding Fathers were simply pushed to the front to do the bidding of the masses. Well, sure, sometimes, but our Revolution didn't go the way of the French Revolution, and the Founding Fathers are the reason.

This is an important book for those studying American history, but be prepared for some rambling and some egalitarian bias.