by Scott Powell 

With the onset of multiculturalism in American culture, the classical model of history instruction that focused on Greece and Rome, then Europe (especially England), and then finally America, has been derogated.  This type of program is now called "Eurocentric,"  by which is meant (correctly) that it focuses on Western civilization (of which Europe is the core), but also (incorrectly) that it necessarily implies that all other cultures are inferior or unworthy of attention.   Because the term "Eurocentric" is now typically pronounced as an indictment when people use it to characterize history curricula, homeschoolers may feel uncomfortable placing any particular emphasis on European history when instructing their children. They shouldn't.  European history is a uniquely important story that is deeply connected to American culture and government.  Here's why...

1. The "Eur-Am" Connection

Everyone knows that in 1492 Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic on a westward voyage to Asia and found instead the islands that populate the Caribbean.   In today's cultural climate, this fateful voyage is no longer viewed as the discovery of America, but regardless of one's view of whether the Italian mariner is history's true discoverer of America, or whether that title belongs to Norse wanderer Leif Ericson, or perhaps to some Chinese mariner, what is incontestable is that the history of America is bisected by Columbus's exploit.  Subsequent to 1492, the "Pre-Columbian" era came to an end and the mostly neolithic cultures of America were rapidly and inexorably displaced by European explorers, conquistadors, merchants, priests and farmers.  The history of America from this point onward was rooted in the history of Europe.

Because of this connection, Spanish and Portuguese culture became the basis for a new civilization spanning from Mexico to Cape Horn.  But, more importantly, French and especially British culture became the dominant framework for a new civilization in North America.

 

This meant that the people who would forge the American colonies, and later the United States, would create a government derived from the example of their  forefathers in the "Old World." For instance, America's Founders would hold to the premise "no taxation without representation!" because their ancestors had wrung the Magna Carta from the unwilling hands of King John.  In addition, colonial leaders like Roger Williams and William Penn, and later the Founders, would fight to enshrine religious freedom in the American way of life, because their ancestors had fought devastating religious wars against each other and those of other religions.

Why are American culture and government the way they are?  Because they are rooted in European history.  One cannot truly understand America's core identity without knowing the background story of Europe.

 

2. A Drama as Enthralling as Fiction!

If the "Eur-Am" connection weren't enough of a reason to study European history, then the sheer drama of it would be.  Sadly, all too many Americans are convinced that history, and European history especially, is boring and irrelevant.  I hope that the relevance of the story of Europe for understanding America today is evident from the foregoing, but what is there to say about it being "boring"?

This view can only be held in ignorance of the plethora of fascinating episodes that are Europe's story.

European history is full of passionate conflicts, driven by deeply held beliefs, intermixed with power-lust and ambition. It is a story of popes and emperors vying for ultimate authority within the "Holy Roman Empire." It is the tale of knights and kings, like Richard the "lionhearted," crusading in the name of "God's will" and their own dynastic aspirations. It is a saga of exploration and empire, charged with the romance of discovery and tragedy of generations wasted in war.  It is a story that is thoroughly engrossing in both its familiarity and its foreignness, even when its actors are loathsome and its outcomes abhorrent. Truly, who can be bored in the presence of William "the Conqueror," Peter "the Great," and Napoleon-let alone Prince Henry "the Navigator" of Portugal, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, or Queen Elizabeth of England?!

Unfortunately, because of the way history is usually taught these days, students do find these subject boring, but when this happens the fault lies in the presentation, not in the material itself.

 

3. Understanding Europe Today

Despite the fact that America has been the world's leading nation since WWI, Europe -- as the European Union -- is not only the world's largest supranational economy, it is also a hugely influential political block that articulates values that profoundly affect American life.  For this reason also, European history deserves the attention of American students.

Whether by direct imperial presence, or by means of trade and cultural exchange with European powers, the world's people have all in some measure become "Western." Consider for instance that the leading classes among the people of the Middle East (whose importance today no one could deny) were mostly educated either in Europe, or in schools founded by European colonial powers, or in schools patterned after those of colonial powers. Middle Eastern nationalism -- a key factor in shaping countries like Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia -- was imported from Europe into the Middle East, and adapted by the Muslims rulers of the region.  The same can be said of Communism in China and North Korea and the various forms of republicanism and socialism throughout Asia.

Although Europe's separate powers no longer occupy a leading role in almost any area, it is not as separate powers that Europe is now affecting the world. The latest ideological development in Europe's political evolution is known as supranationalism. To understand this latest incarnation of the European world is one of the important goals of studying European history--especially for Americans, whose lives the European Union will certain affect as it grows in power and influence.

Certainly, the histories of all the world's cultures contain amazing triumphs and tragedies, much like the story of Europe. When it comes to helping students understand the world around them, however, and the forces shaping it, none can rival the history of Europe.  It is only by studying this part of history that Americans can properly understand the roots of their own civilization and the direction that it and Europe will be moving during their lives.

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Scott Powell is a historian living in Houston, TX. He is the creator and teacher of HistoryAtOurHouse, a homeschooling curriculum for students from 2nd to 12th grade. He offers European History as part of his curriculum rotation.  Learn more through his blog at: www.HistoryAtOurHouse.com.