Why are certain prominent and significant people written out of US History?

[hfojvt]

67. I probably would not include Nat Turner

People like Henry George, Edward Bellamy, Walter Rauschenbusch, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman were fairly influential in their day. Everybody hears about Jane Addams and Hull House in Chicago, but no mention of Denison House in Boston or Vida Scudder.

Charles Sheldon is probably the best selling author that most people have not heard of.

Then there's Elijah Lovejoy.

Karl Menninger writes of him

"That great American hero, editor, school teacher, and Presbyterian clergyman Elijah Lovejoy left the pulpit and returned to the press in order to be sure his words reached more people. The Civil War might have been averted and a peaceful emancipation of slaves achieved had there been more like him.

After observing one lynching, Lovejoy was committed forever to fighting uncompromisingly the awful sin of slavery. Mob action was brought against him time after time; neither this nor many threats and attempts on his life deterred him. Repeated destruction of his presses did not stop him. "If by compromise is meant that I should cease from my duty, I cannot make it. I fear God more than I fear man. Crush me if you will, but I shall die at my post ..."

And he did, four days later, at the hands of another mob. No one of the ruffians was prosecuted or indicted or punished in any way for this murder (Some of Lovejoy's defenders were prosecuted! One of the mob assassins was later elected mayor of Alton!)" "Whatever became of sin?" 1973 p. 210

Loewen writes of Turner

"By way of comparison, consider Nat Turner, who in 1831 led the most important slave revolt since the US became a nation. John Brown and Nat Turner both killed whites in cold blood. Both were religious, but, unlike Brown, Turner saw visions and heard voices. In most textbooks, Turner has become something of a hero. Several textbooks call Turner 'deeply religious'. None calls him a 'religious fanatic'. They reserve that term for Brown." "Lies my teacher told me" p. 178