Many of us are first exposed to history’s details in history class. The main guide, though times are changing, has been a text book. However, not all text books are the same.

"History is not simply an account of the events, facts of the past. History is also an argument," said Colgate University Political Science Professor Nina Moore.

The New York State Education Department says the state isn't involved in setting curriculum. They determine learning standards for what students should know, but it is each school district's responsibility to find ways to meet those standards including selecting text books.

David Wittner is a distinguished professor of East Asian History at Utica College, also director of the Center for Historical Research, and an author. When it comes to textbooks, he says, "They often reflect political climate of the state or the county where they're being used. So a Texas text book or a Virginia text book would have a slightly more conservative [lean] or it could be a significantly more conservative bend to it than one in California or in New York, for example."

Wittner says about 85 percent of text books are made by a handful of companies. Nina Moore is a Colgate University Political Science professor, chair of the Political Science Department, and also program director for Recent Public Policy.

She has concerns about who is writing text books as she says, the way people record history is a reflection of their values.

"So if we were to look at the founding of American government, one could choose to focus on the Federalist papers who eventually won, versus the Anti-Federalists who did not win. And so, there's a bias tendency to focus on those who are more powerful, and who won by our standards at the end of the day," she said.

Moore says the system needs to change.

"The system of interpreting, in particular, American history, through a region-based lens is not the best," said Moore.

"Rather than writing with a bias, my bigger concern is with publishers specifically maybe leaving things out or changing language ever so slightly so as to minimize some of what's happened," Wittner said.

Wittner says the United States isn’t alone is this issue.