The second chapter from Lies My Teacher Told Me describes how much importance has been attributed to Christopher Columbus in American textbooks

The second chapter from Lies My Teacher Told Me describes how much importance has been attributed to Christopher Columbus in American textbooks. Christopher Columbus has been humanized and glorified as a brave man and an ideal hero. But according to Loewen, this traditional account of Columbus is wrong and unverifiable. Loewen has stated that these textbooks are a misrepresentation of facts and a combination of half truths, truths and omissions.
Loewen states that the other explorers such as Vikings and Africans have travelled to America before Columbus. But all these facts have not been told in order to retain a glorified view of Europe but deep down of it, racism and prejudice against other nations is hidden. Loewen has stated that Europe came to explore America for certain factors including its military knowledge, social technology, immunity to disease, and having a religious justification for war. The textbooks have omitted the fact that the natives were oppressed, enslaved, and were almost wiped out in the due process. I have been greatly surprised by the disparity and misrepresentation in the textbooks and it has definitely changed the way I used to perceive the historic event. The content has shown both sides of the exploitation.