History Professor at College of William and Mary Discovers Factual Errors Concerning African Americans in Textbooks Used in Virginia High Schools

Carol Sheriff, an assistant professor of history at the College of William and Mary, was the first scholar to point out serious flaws in two textbooks approved for use in Virginia high schools. One book stated that there were two black battalions that fought for the Confederate Army. After the initial discovery, scholars have pointed out many other factual flaws in the textbooks, many of which have to do with African Americans.

In 2010 the Virginia Board of Education approved the use of Our Virginia: Past and Present and Our America to 1865, both published by Five Ponds Press, which is based in Weston, Connecticut. Now the board is reconsidering its endorsements of the text.

Meanwhile, the publisher has made dozens of changes to an online version of Our Virginia and says more are forthcoming.

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