Washington and the Cherry Tree

Not all that long ago, American schoolchildren were taught a quaint little story about a young George Washington cutting down a cherry tree against his parents' wishes. When confronted about his crime, young Washington decided he couldn't lie, and owned up about axing the tree. What a nice story, right? Except for the fact that it's completely made up. Archaeological evidence shows that there were never any cherry trees at Ferry Farm, and that the story had been fabricated by Washington's biographer, Mason Locke Weems, to enhance the president's heroic image. Removing it from any school curriculum really had no impact on anyone's perception of Washington. This is a classic example of revisionist history, in which scholars investigate and sometimes correct fallacies found in historical narratives.

Looks real to me... 

Much like real history, "Fake History" also focuses on changing the details, though for humorous effect rather than, you know, historical accuracy or whatever. This meme series first originated on reddit, using Spongebob screenshots and captioning them with semi-historical statements, though they've since branched out to include other media properties. No one, it seems, is safe from the ravages of time. 

Revisionists have their work cut out for them when it comes to making changes, and not all of those changes are necessarily made for the right reasons. People's identities are hugely influenced by history, and an attempt to change that history often causes intense controversy and backlash due to its personal nature. People have been editing history for a long time, since the days of Plutarch and Tacitus, but modern historical revisionism emerged shortly after the end of World War I, and would alter the way scholars and everyday citizens alike viewed historical preservation. 

Obviously, the reasons behind the war were both numerous and deeply complicated, and there was more than enough resentment smoldering between everyone involved. Some historians remained objective, struggling to explain the logic behind the world's deadliest conflict, while others decided to lay the blame squarely at Germany's feet. And of course, we all know how Germany revised their own history, allowing patriotism and nationalism to set the stage for another global conflict. 

Even when it's trying to simply correct the facts, historical revisionism is seen in a predominantly negative light, and not without justification. President Bush used the term "revisionist historians" to describe journalists who, in his mind, were wrongful questioning the reasons behind the invasion of Iraq. For years, historians have debated the circumstances surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy, blaming everyone from communist radicals to Soviets to aliens instead of Lee Harvey Oswald. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly denied the existence of the Holocaust, and America has repeatedly been criticized for overly justifying the use of the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. 

In the end, revisionist history is rarely accepted, sometimes due to credibility issues, and sometimes because people dislike having their perceptions, many of which are personal, changed. For example, most people know that Mary Todd Lincoln had her share of mental health issues, but most people would scoff if a historian came along and said the same about President Lincoln himself. Regardless of if it were true, the popular image of him is such a large part of American culture that changing it is nearly impossible. 

Ultimately, all history is revisionist in some way or another, because humans cannot be completely objective. One thing history will agree on, however, is that memes may very well be mankind's greatest accomplishment. And you can quote me on that, too. 

Ouch.