Nationalism is one of the culprits. Textbooks are often muddled by conflicting desires to promote inquiry and to indoctrinate blind patriotism. In this book Loewen examined twelve US History textbooks. Textbooks stifle meaning by suppressing causation. Students exit history textbooks without ever having developed the ability to think coherently about social life.
History is a furious debate informed by evidence and reason.
As a result of this, most high school seniors are hamstrung in their efforts to analyze controversial issues in our society. The notion that opportunity might be unequal in America, that not everyone has the 'power to rise in the world,' is anathema to textbooks authors, and to many teachers as well. A certain etiquette coerces us all into speaking in respectful tones about the past, especially when we're passing on Our Heritage to our young. It perpetuates what might be called a Disney version of history. . . Our children end up without realistic role models to inspire them.