A common view of history is that it is best viewed from a distance, when the observers and writers have a truer perspective.  In his review of contemporary American history textbooks, Lies My Teacher Told Me, James W. Loewen argues that history texts are written to accommodate contemporary politics, rather than to take a long view of the events.

Historical perspective is thus not a by-product of the passage of time. A more accurate view derives from Leon Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance, which suggests that the social practices of the period when history is written, largely determine that history’s perspective on the past. Objective scholarship must be linked with a modern experience that permits it to prevail. (263)

By example, he points out the change in our understanding of the Reconstruction Period before (1865- 1954) and after (1954 – present) the Civil Rights Movement and our opinion of Columbus before (1892-1992) and after our reaching out to Latin American countries whose ancestors suffered under the Spanish conquistadors.  History textbooks have been revised to reflect our current political consensus.

The point is that contemporary politics has more to say about how history textbooks are written than the perspective of passing time. Which brings us to the investigation of the attack on the Capitol Building, January 6, 2021.

We could resign ourselves to the inevitability of politics coloring the significance of that now memorable day, or we could strive to get at the facts before politics has wrecked havoc with them. Eye witness testimony and video footage of the event gives us some advantage over historians past, who often suffered from multiple and disagreeing witnesses of events. We have a chance to reconstruct events as close as possible to their occurrence.

The attempt to delay or discourage investigation of the events of January 6,2021 only increases the likelihood of politics coloring the facts. If you want to read some interesting analysis of how history textbooks have obscured the causes and consequences of the Vietnam War or the Iraqi War, you should read Chapter Ten – “Down the Memory Hole: The Disappearance of the Recent Past” in James W. Loewen’s  study of contemporary American History textbooks.  Loewen points out how these events have passed from the experience of contemporary teenagers, yet are often vaguely summarized in American history texts for fear of political bias intruding on the language.

Loewen argues, however, that failing to consider the “why” of historical events is what turns textbooks to the style of “one damn thing after another” hypnotizing the reader into a nap. Students dislike history books because they fail to analyze events, even from conflicting views, and give them nothing to chew on. Better to offer competing analyses of events than to blandly summarize them as if they had no real causes.

So the best course is to look deeply into recent events in our history books, and the best accuracy comes from close historical study that a Congressional committee could provide.  Certainly there will always be majority and minority opinions, but that is how history is made and how students learn to analyze competing interpretations.

Some readers will always insist that their version of historical events in the right one, and that we unnecessarily complicate history by claiming different versions. We can only get to that authoritative version by investigating now and investigating thoroughly. We owe it to tomorrow’s students who will read about the events of January 6, 2021 in their history books, not with bland summaries, but with penetrating analysis. Yet there will be some disputes, even about the facts. What will history report about the “insurrection”?

Students should understand how history was made and then interpreted by an immediate and thorough investigation. So let the investigation proceed with all dispatch.