2006 8th grade U.S. History textbook ratings -- 5 California titles

November 2006 Newsletter

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In 2006 California approved these 8th grade U.S. History books for local adoption.

FAIR	The American Journey to WWII • Glencoe ©2006 Contradicts itself on the meaning of the Constitution's supremacy clause Defines strict and loose construction correctly Confuses constitutional states' rights with unconstitutional state sovereignty in most instances Enumerates 10 of 13 free-market factors in the Commercial / Industrial Revolutions Omits pro-free enterprise answers to critics of late-1800s big business behaviors Mentions only 2 of 11 rights of Englishmen violated by Acts of Parliament (1763-75) Discusses 6 of 11 ways that colonial religion encouraged the American Revolution
POOR	United States History – Independence to 1914 • Holt ©2006 Advocates federal supremacy instead of federalism Marginalizes strict construction by wrongly defining it Fails to distinguish constitutional states' rights from unconstitutional state sovereignty Describes 8 of 13 free-market principles that fostered the Industrial Revolution Criticizes late-19th century big businessmen in 31 student text lines, defends them in 3 Covers 3 of 11 rights of Englishmen abridged by Acts of Parliament (1763-75) Mentions 4 of 11 influences of colonial religion on the American Revolution
VERY POOR	Creating America: A History of the U.S. – Beginnings through WWII • McDougal ©2006 Misconstrues the Constitution's supremacy clause Misrepresents strict and loose construction Confounds constitutional states' rights with unconstitutional state sovereignty Acknowledges 4 of 13 free-market causes of the U.S. Industrial Revolution Bans counterargument to its calling Rockefeller a "robber baron" Names 4 of 11 rights of Englishmen infringed on by Acts of Parliament (1763-75) Notes 5 of 11 characteristics of colonial religion favoring the American Revolution
WORSE	America: History of Our Nation – Independence through 1914 • Prentice ©2006 Mistakes constitutional supremacy for federal supremacy Errs in defining strict and loose construction Discredits constitutional states' rights by equating them with unconstitutional state sovereignty Addresses 5 of 13 free-market elements in the Commercial / Industrial Revolutions Censors exculpatory info on capitalist activity in the 1800s Identifies just 2 of 11 rights of Englishmen denied by Acts of Parliament (1763-75) Cites a mere 2 of 11 contributions of colonial religion to the American Revolution
WORST	A History of US vols. 3-8 • Oxford ©2005 >> see partial review Unthinkable – At least 50% more factual errors than any other book here: Scholarship is suspect. Unsuitable – Standard U.S. History topics shortchanged: Biographical approach fails as a survey. Unfixable – 19 separate bindings: Competitors' Teacher Edition wraparounds are better.

We can e-mail full, fast documentation for this ranking, plus our list of these books' 427 FACTUAL ERRORS missed by editors and California's approval process (see sample errors: I, II). Publishers tout teaching aides. We stress subject matter content. Publishers tell you their strengths. We include their weaknesses.

No publisher funds us in any way. We have no financial stake in the textbook industry. Unlike publisher sales reps, we have no monetary interest in any adoption outcome. Our support comes from individuals and a few small foundations, which to our knowledge have no ties to any textbook company.