'The Last Act: The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II' was destined to be the most bitterly contested museum exhibit in US history. In 1995, the Smithsonian was scheduled to open a new exhibition for its 50th anniversary observance of the end of World War II. We have a fairly recent example of how controversial history can be, how it was held hostage, and how it dramatically affected the telling of history - the Enola Gay Exhibit at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum. Indeed, the very act of examining history is controversial because everyone brings their own viewpoint, their own perspective to any examination off historical figures and events. History presents all the facts, warts and all, examines both the negative and positive actions of Americans, encourages students to think about social justice and social change, and promotes real understanding of historical issues and events and critical analysis of our nation's domestic and foreign policies.
Good history teachers understand and use controversy
