THE GRANT ILLUSION

Title: THE GRANT ILLUSION

Summary: 

History is not just the story of what happened, it is the story of what we believe happened. We grow up learning about the past through school textbooks, news reports, movies, and even casual conversations. Yet, much of what we think we know is simply not true. Certain events, figures, and ideas have been so distorted over time that they have taken on a life of their own, becoming more fiction than fact. Some of these distortions are the result of innocent misunderstandings, while others have been carefully crafted for political, ideological, or cultural purposes.

When I was a young student, I absorbed historical “facts” with unwavering certainty, Columbus was a heroic explorer, the pyramids were built exclusively by slaves, and medieval people thought the world was flat.