Lies My Teacher Told Me is a book written by James W. Loewen. It was first published in 1995 and then republished in 2008. It tells the story of how history is taught in the United States, revealing how the many inaccuracies, omissions, and biases of widely-used textbooks give students an incomplete understanding of their own country.
Loewen examined 12 textbooks over the course of a year at the Smithsonian Institution. During his study, he was shocked by the inaccuracies and half-truths he discovered in the textbooks, which were being widely used to teach high school history.
He went on to publish Lies My Teacher Told Me in an effort to get the publishing industry to change these books. The book has been controversial since it was published, as it calls out many people—from publishers and readers to teachers and government officials—for failing to live up to their responsibility of properly educating young people.
