Strange Bedfellows: Censorship and History Textbooks

Abstract

In spite of required state curriculum objectives, American history textbooks often become the de facto curriculum defining history. Self-imposed censorship by textbook publishers defines how individuals, groups, and events are portrayed. A 2004 Thomas B. Fordham Institute report concluded that today’s history textbooks are bland with no voice or storyline and have been sanitized and filled with history rewritten to meet the demands of special interest groups. The report also concluded that while American history textbooks now contain more pages, they include less content. Paradoxically, when a well-crafted textbook is created, students may never have access to it. Efforts by special interest groups to censor such books are not uncommon. A case study of one author’s efforts to have her award-winning history textbook adopted for classroom use and the ensuing censorship efforts by special interest groups are described.

Citation

Matusevich, M.N. (2006), "Strange Bedfellows: Censorship and History Textbooks", Social Studies Research and Practice, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 359-373. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSRP-03-2006-B0006