Distorting History

(1) Description of the pattern

Altering history by the manipulation of stories, facts, and data is an effective means of promoting specific ideologies and agendas. This can be achieved by creating events that did not happen, altering events that did happen, or omitting events altogether.

(2) Why the pattern is good (i.e. bad)

Distorting history is a deceptive practice that is often used to further one ideology while trampling another. The story of Thanksgiving that is taught to young American schoolchildren is a subtle example of this, as well as an example of how historians whitewash the relationship between European settlers and the indigenous peoples of North America. The good cowboys fighting the bad Indians is another good illustration of how history is typically misrepresented. American history books have a long tradition of glorifying the American settlers while vilifying the natives.