The Political Bias in Exeter’s U.S. History
By WILLIAM INOUE ‘27
“Human history is taught through autobiographies.” This line stuck in my mind as I attended my first HIS401 class. The U.S. history class at Phillips Exeter Academy is famous for its rigor and depth of teaching, and pairing it with Harkness creates almost a “perfect” environment to foster and develop a select handful of students who understand U.S. history in more depth and complexity than others. Yet, while glorifying the Exeter curriculum in teaching U.S. history, we often miss the glaring issue: political bias in teachers.
Given the vast political diversity of the United States, our historical sources are naturally varied, reflecting a spectrum of scholarly perspectives. Topics such as colonialism, slavery, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War are central to any U.S. history class. While public schools in the U.S. are often constrained by state law to a specific textbook, Exeter enjoys more academic freedom. Every course book published for each class every trimester is carefully selected and chosen by the teacher teaching that class. So, why then do we encounter political bias in our classrooms?
By the time this idea of this paper was presented, we had three classes with three different readings. The sources from these readings are The New York Times, The New York Times, and The Atlantic. According to greater sources, all three are liberal or liberal-leaning papers. I assumed nothing the first time, as The New York Times is a great source for learning about modern journalism and recent historical issues. The second time, I assumed that the teacher was presenting an issue and that we would get an opposite view of the issue in the next class. By the third, I realized that the teacher himself was a liberal. He used the class to project his political ideology to the students. A liberal teacher choosing liberal sources to show his students was the epitome of political bias present at Exeter.
When this issue was brought up in the classroom, I was told that being “political central” is also a political idealogy that cannot be “defined” without politics. Yet, the root of the issue is not in the ideas of each paper but in the dimensions we look at the same problem. The sources most certainly should not be sequentially placed through similar politicall-situated papers. It is a fundamental problem prevalent in every U.S. History class at Exeter. We are blessed to learn material that teachers tailor themselves to fit their specific teaching styles. Yet, we are still plagued by omnipresent political biases that the history teachers seem unable to escape from.
The depth of this issue extends beyond the classroom. Indeed, politics is a large part of our lives, as it can affect everything from wages to basic rights. Politics is everything in U.S. history, as it laid the foundation. It is almost necessary for this nation to discuss politics, as communication is the key to anything. Yet, we must also realize that there are moments when politics should not be at the forefront of discussions, nor should it be projected by authorities. Especially in classes that are as political as U.S. history, it should be the teachers’ duty to protect the political balance and show sources from all across the political spectrum.
This leads me to the idea of politics as a whole at Phillips Exeter. Most schools offer some version of U.S. government classes, whether that’s through AP or other courses. The only one Exeter offers remotely close to that is HIS550: American Politics and Public Policy. Ironically, this class can only be taken after completing your U.S. history classes. Unless you have previous knowledge about U.S. politics, you would often fall victim to the political bias of the teacher teaching your U.S. history course. Students at the best high school in the United States should not have to conform themselves to see these important issues throughout history through the politically twisted lenses that their teachers force upon them.
Living in a confusing and distorted time, students must learn about historical and contemporary politics. Politics should never be a hush-hush topic, treated as if one’s political view is sacred and must not be shared. We can only fix our nation and unify everyone through conversations, debates, and dissenting opinions. It is frustrating and frankly sad to see that Exeter limits our access to politics by only offering one course aimed at seniors. Change is urgently needed, yet action does not seem to be moving.
To change there are countless things we can change. First and foremost, assess each source that teachers post to students. Things such as posting three papers from center to left-wing newspaper organizations should not have happened in the first place. These are such easy issues to address and it is solely up to the teacher to take the initiative and do what is correct for the students. The second thing that could be changed is the way Exeter teaches history. While there is an emphasis on more “world” history, it is still a necessity that we teach some sort of “prerequisite” before students take the 400-level U.S. history classes. These classes should be close to AP United States Government and Politics. The focus should be shone onto both historical and contemporary politics. The third thing we could change is how we view and conceptualize politics. It should be treated as a part or extension of ourselves. If we can ask others where they are from, why are we not allowed to ask their political views? The final solution stems deeper into society, where we villanize certain views under false assumptions. Yet, even just at Phillips Exeter Academy, we can create a welcoming and respectful environment to foster debates and compare our political opinions.
After completing the U.S. history sequence after the end of my lower year, I will have done five history classes out of six that I could have possibly taken. Needless to say, I love history very much and have had a passion for history from any time, anywhere. It hurts me to see how tarnished the prized U.S. history courses at Exeter have become due to teachers’ inability to balance politics and their views outside of the classroom. With the solutions I have presented, I truly hope we can fix this issue that has plagued us