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Historical illiteracy is the failure to understand the events, people, and forces that shaped the world we live in—and to think critically about how the past connects to the present.

This includes:

• Lack of factual knowledge – not knowing key events, figures, causes, and consequences.

• Distorted understanding – holding onto myths or misconceptions (for example, claiming slavery wasn’t central to U.S. history).

• Inability to think historically – ignoring skills like sourcing, contextualization, and recognizing bias.

• Disconnecting past from present – failing to see how historical processes still shape our realities today.

The books in this collection are designed to confront historical illiteracy head-on. They provide the knowledge, context, and critical perspective needed to replace misinformation with truth. Whether you’re correcting your own gaps—or assigning “homework” to someone else—this list is essential reading.