The purpose of this project is to investigate this ambient notion that something is wrong with public education in the United States. I look to the language of President Barack Obama, and work within his philosophical pragmatism to imagine my own remedies for a broken establishment. Then, I express my opinion that young American citizens are deeply injured by incomplete and incorrect understandings of their history. Here, I narrow my focus to the discipline of history, and how it is taught in public secondary schools. I find the contemporary textbook of American history particularly pernicious, and so perform a close reading and analysis of a textbook used widely across the United States. Later, my focus shifts to American patriotism, and its place and purpose within the educational establishment. Finally, I move toward a conclusion, and offer humble suggestions for the amelioration of my criticisms.