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

Lies My Teacher Told Me

In the book Lies My Teacher Told Me , Loewen contrast with the modern history books since he believes the textbooks, contains incorrect information about events and people such as Hellen Keller and Abraham Lincoln. He further explains that the textbooks give a culturally biased account of the past. The textbooks give unsavory details of historical figures to give more optimistic figures but do not explain son their weaknesses.

High school textbooks discuss Hellen Keller childhood life but never discuss her adulthood life. Almost all American high school students know that despite Keller being a deaf and blind girl, she learned how to speak, read, and write. Nowhere in the textbooks explains that Keller was a radical activist. She became an activist even before she graduated (Loewen 2008). She praised the Russian Revolution and praised the new communist nation.

Loewen believes that history is taught like that for various reasons. Loewen (2008) believes that publishers produce textbooks targeting their intended readers. Furthermore, the American Legion declared the ideal books should; inspire patriotism, must praise success, and should tell the truth optimistically.

History textbooks describe Woodrow Wilson as a patriotic and respectful person. However, they omit information about his racism towards the African- Americas people. Moreover, Wilson made terrible decisions. For example, he supported the Espionage and Sedition Acts during World War 1, which limited the rights for free speech. He also banned all criticism towards World War 1.

Keller implicated the president to have promoted racism and denied the right to freedom. After World War 1, the administration under Wilson increased attack on civil liberties. He also questioned the loyalty of African- American people.

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