Did white hunters kill all the buffalo? The answer, according to Dr. Larry Schweikart is ?most of them … but that is only part of the story that textbooks tell in trying to proclaim Indians as 'great ecologists' or 'conservationists.' " In reality, he claims, recent studies agree that Native Americans were on a path to exterminate not only buffalo, but also the white-tail deer, and while descendants of European settlers accelerated the process, they also took the actions that eventually saved the buffalo from extinction. Many textbooks, Dr. Schweikart asserts, distort American history in order to present politically biased views of everything from Reaganomics to the Cold War.
Dr. Schweikart is the speaker at the next Catawba College Community Forum for what promises to be a politically-incorrect look at the study of American history. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in Tom Smith Auditorium of Ralph W. Ketner Hall on the Catawba campus.
A native of Arizona, Dr. Schweikart completed a bachelor's degree in political science at Arizona State University before going on the road as a drummer in a rock and roll band. After several years of performing, he returned to Arizona State for a master's degree in history. From there, he moved on to the University of California at Santa Barbara for his Ph.D. He has taught at Dayton University for the past 20 years.
Dr. Schweikart's recent books include A Patriot's History of the United States and America's Victories: Why the U. S. Wins Wars and Will Win the War on Terror. He has been interviewed by talk show guru Rush Limbaugh and featured on various television programs, including Fox News, Book TV, and the Michael Medved Show. His next book, due out this year, is entitled Fifty Liberal Lies of History.
Dr. Schweikart's visit is co-sponsored by Hillsdale College and the North Carolina History Project.
