Lies My Teacher Told Me

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Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong is a 1995 book by James Loewen. It critically examines twelve popular American history textbooks and concludes that textbook authors propagate factually false, eurocentric, and mythologized views of history. In addition to critiquing the dominant historical themes presented in textbooks, Loewen presents a number of his own historical themes that he says are ignored by traditional history textbooks. A new revised and updated hardcover edition is expected to be released on April 1, 2008.

1 Introduction
2 Loewen's ideas
3 Sources
4 Awards and honors
5 See also
6 References

[edit] Introduction

Loewen introduces the book by discussing why he wrote it, and what is wrong with textbooks. "Textbooks keep students in the dark about the nature of history...[They] employ such a godlike tone, it never occurs to most students to question them...As a result of this, most high school seniors are hamstrung in their efforts to analyze controversial issues in our society" (p.16).

[edit] Loewen's ideas

Loewen proposes that when history teachers elevate American historical figures to the status of heroes, they unintentionally give students the impression that these figures were part of an unattainable past. In other words, the history-as-myth method teaches students that America's greatest days are behind it. If textbooks and teachers were honest about historical controversies and the flaws of America's heroes, Loewen proposes that students would be left with the impression that America is a nation forever learning and improving and that its best days are still to come. Loewen suggests history textbooks should rely more heavily on primary sources.