The Middle Ground Journal

By Peter Burkholder, Ph.D., Fairleigh Dickinson University

Abstract: There are clear indications that the American public can become exercised about historical issues. But away from sensationalized press coverage, there is evidence of shared values. This article draws on results from a recent national survey to put “difficult histories” in context, offering world history teachers and researchers actual data on where matters stand. This article was originally presented as a paper at the 2022 Midwest World History Association conference.

Keywords: academic freedom, critical race theory, divisive concepts, polls and surveys, public opinion, revisionism, wedge issues

About the Author: Peter Burkholder is professor of history at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey. He is the recipient of distinguished faculty awards for both teaching and research at FDU, as well as the American Historical Association’s Gilbert Award for the best article on teaching the past. He is on the editorial board of The Teaching Professor, is a consulting editor for College Teaching, and serves on the national advisory board of the Society for History Education.

Edited by Jeanne E. Grant

Special thanks to the anonymous peer reviewers.

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© 2023 The Middle Ground Journal (ISSN: 2155-1103) Number 26, Fall 2023 http://TheMiddleGroundJournal.org. See Submission Guidelines page for the journal’s not-for-profit educational open-access policy.