I grew up in a red state. Looking back now that i’ve read more and had opportunities to learn from others of different backgrounds, I can definitively say they omitted events and details to present a more white-washed (pun intended) version of history. I wouldn’t say my teachers tried to justify slavery, but there was an outsized emphasis placed on the “states’ rights” explanation of the civil war, and they were maybe a bit too quick to point out when former slaves went to work for their former masters (as if this was some evidence that they “were worse off” after emancipation, as opposed to being a reaction to poorly implemented, and/or straight-up racist, reconstruction policies).

I’m glad your teachers didn’t shy away from the seedy underbelly of history. But I do want to point out that I didn’t even know how myopic my history education was until I got to college (not even from the classes, although those helped, but simply having a more diverse set of friends to talk with). I still learn new things that open my eyes to a whole other topic that I didn’t even know was a thing. Don’t assume, because you don’t know of any gaps in your education, that you don’t have any. (I’m sure you already know that, but I’m up on my soap box right now, and it seemed a nice conclusion)