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Interesting US History
A Website Devoted to Interesting Events in U.S. History

 

 
 

 

INTERESTING HISTORY MYTHS

Some historical facts and stories we take for granted are either false or at the least exaggerated. Some have been passed down through generations and some have even made their way into history books.

For example, you may have heard the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem: "Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere...". That poem was written in 1860, long after the famous ride which occurred in 1775. Well, that poem gives an innacurate (or at best incomplete) representation of the actual events. Take a look at the myths below and click on the corresponding link to get the actual facts.



Myth: George Washington  was the first President of the United States

Fact: Please click here

Washington: A Life



Myth: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone

Fact: Please click here




Myth: Daniel Boone wore a coonskin cap

Fact: Please click here


Myth: Betsy Ross invented the first American flag

Fact: Please click here


Myth: Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin

Fact: Please click here


Myth: Christopher Columbus discovered the earth was round

Fact: Please click here


Myth: Abraham Lincoln's childhood log cabin is on display in Hodgenville, Kentucky

Fact: Please click here


Myth: The American Civil War  was all about slavery

Fact: Please click here


Myth: In April, 1775, Paul Revere rode through the streets from Boston to Lexington yelling "The british are comming"

Fact: Please click here


Myth: The Pilgrims lived in log cabins

Fact: Please click here


Myth: During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln once said about Ulysses S. Grant's drinking: "If I knew what brand he used, I would send every General a barrel.".

Fact: Please click here


Myth: Charles Lindbergh was the first man to fly non-stop accross the Atlantic Ocean

Fact: Please click here


Myth: Paul Revere began printing and selling a depiction of the Boston Massacre in 1770

Fact: Please click here


Myth: George Washington fathered several children by his slaves

Fact: Please click here


Myth: When Confederate President Jefferson Davis was arrested after the Civil War, he was wearing his wife's clothing as a disguise in hopes of avoiding capture.

Fact: Please click here


Myth: The reason Germany got off to such a fast start in World War II was because of its pre-war preparations.

Fact: Please click here


INTERESTING HISTORY BOOKS

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong 

Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History 

MORE INTERESTING MYTHS