Over the past year the Texas Legislature along with others around the country have sought to change history books to downplay the negative aspects and promote the positive aspects of American History. The theory behind these proposals is based on the idea that history classes should reinforce American patriotism and that discussions of the negative aspects are bad for students. However, most historians believe that college students need to be familiar with the mistakes of the past and confront the history as honestly as possible, whether or not it leads to students questioning their patriotism. This is a debate between the "victorious history" some policy-makers prefer versus a "history of struggles" that most historians prefer.

Should college history classes be "washed" of the negative aspects of American history? Why or why not?