Tombi wrote: > Keith, > You were very lucky! I did history to matric but being at an English > Medium school in the Transvaal although ... Tombi, I said I wish I had the textbooks, because then I could see what they left out. I finished High School in the Transvaal in 1968. It seemed to me that South African history ended about van der Stel's time. We got a dose of indoctrination in classes called Social Studies and one called Race Studies, but they were not history. There was no 20th Century history from anywhere. I learned a lot about Metternich and Bismarck, and the Industrial Revolution. British and European colonialism was not history, it was in a class called Geography. Which is too bad. 20th Century South African history, particularly the first half, is fascinating. The rest also is. I am much more interested in what some call "social history", the experiences of common people, than I am in accounts of the exploits of generals and politicians. I suppose genealogy, with its emphasis on the lives of individuals, makes you that way. Best wishes, Keith

Dear Keith I am collecting old history text books. I however do not have an English secondary school one for the 1960's The authors of an Afrikaans one was among other Wiid and Geyer. I can scan you the contents page as I guess the syllabus would have been the same for the English schools? Kind regards Daniel Jacobs On 12/12/11, Keith Meintjes <umfundi@usa.net> wrote: > Tombi wrote: > >> Keith, >> You were very lucky! I did history to matric but being at an English >> Medium school in the Transvaal although ... > > Tombi, > > I said I wish I had the textbooks, because then I could see what they left > out. I finished High School in the Transvaal in 1968. > > It seemed to me that South African history ended about van der Stel's time. > We got a dose of indoctrination in classes called Social Studies and one > called Race Studies, but they were not history. There was no 20th Century > history from anywhere. I learned a lot about Metternich and Bismarck, and > the > Industrial Revolution. British and European colonialism was not history, it > was in a class called Geography. > > Which is too bad. 20th Century South African history, particularly the > first > half, is fascinating. The rest also is. I am much more interested in what > some call "social history", the experiences of common people, than I am in > accounts of the exploits of generals and politicians. I suppose genealogy, > with its emphasis on the lives of individuals, makes you that way. > > Best wishes, > > Keith > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SOUTH-AFRICA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Vir gratis Genealogiese Handleiding: http://gendata.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=28 Siebrits/du Toit/Meyer/Zeeman/De Villiers (Franschhoek/Paarl) Jacobs/Oberholster/Smith (Graaff-Reinet/Fauresmith) Le Roux/Van der Merwe (Villiersdorp) Louw/Brink (Kaapstad/Wellington) De Vos (De Doorns/Wellington) Malan (Wellington/Zeerust) Ungerer (Swellendam) Smith (Wellington)

Despite me getting all uppity earlier on this is proving fascinating and I shall look up those biographies and have a good read. I know little of south african history; my father in law left New Zealand with a horse contingent to fight in the Boer War and his diary is most interesting and informative. He didn't write of the fighting, remember he was writing to his Mum and by the time the letters got to her she would have been frantic with worry about it all...they are utterly charming and he mentions Bulawayo (where we lived eventually) and so on on his ride from Beira to Mafeking and beyond. His brother became a Policeman in that era in S.A. and his diary too is really good reading chasing horse thieves etc and living eventually in Botswana as it is now. I have a photograph album of sketches of folk during that period very clever but not signed, and some photos of "Boer families" but no names...then he wrote one on his Kalahari campaign in WW1 as by that time he had fallen in love with S.A. and settled in Sydney on Vaal he rode through the desert to S.W.A - once again I have typed those letters too and through them I know something about your history. I was educated in India so only knew about Indian history. Then we went to Rhodesia now Zimbabwe and children there these days only have terrorist victory stuff...every country seems prejudiced from one angle only very sad. Now I am off to see if the comprehensive Auckland History Library has anything to help me Merry Christmas everyone Jean in Auckland -------------------------------------------------- From: "Keith Meintjes" <umfundi@usa.net> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 11:44 AM To: <south-africa@rootsweb.com> Subject: [SOUTH-AFRICA] History as taught then > Tombi wrote: > >> Keith, >> You were very lucky! I did history to matric but being at an English >> Medium school in the Transvaal although ... > > Tombi, > > I said I wish I had the textbooks, because then I could see what they left > out. I finished High School in the Transvaal in 1968. > > It seemed to me that South African history ended about van der Stel's > time. > We got a dose of indoctrination in classes called Social Studies and one > called Race Studies, but they were not history. There was no 20th Century > history from anywhere. I learned a lot about Metternich and Bismarck, and > the > Industrial Revolution. British and European colonialism was not history, > it > was in a class called Geography. > > Which is too bad. 20th Century South African history, particularly the > first > half, is fascinating. The rest also is. I am much more interested in > what > some call "social history", the experiences of common people, than I am in > accounts of the exploits of generals and politicians. I suppose > genealogy, > with its emphasis on the lives of individuals, makes you that way. > > Best wishes, > > Keith > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SOUTH-AFRICA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >