David Barton Appointed Texas History Advisor

State Board of Education picks Barton for advice on history

On September 19, two members of the Texas State Board of Education announced that David Barton will be their history advisor for the 2025 revision of their social studies standards. You can read the press release below:

Those who know Barton’s history will no doubt be puzzled at the praise of his expertise and accuracy. Along with my friend and co-author Michael Coulter, I filled a lengthy book (Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-Checking Claims About Thomas Jefferson) with fact-checks of his historical claims. In 2012, that book influenced publisher Thomas Nelson to pull David Barton’s book on Jefferson from publication due to historical errors. My new book The Christian Past That Wasn’t will take up where the first book left off.

Long time Barton watchers will recall that he once claimed to have an earned doctorate, but doesn’t. He even showed it on camera half hidden so you couldn’t see where it came from. I later found out it came from an unaccredited church school and Barton didn’t take any classes or do anything to get it. He removed the video and never said another word about it.

In fact, many people know that the stories Barton tells are fishy but they don’t care because they help promote Republican politics.

If you really want a deep dive into America’s Premier Historian, please consider binge listening to the first season of the podcast Telling Jefferson Lies. I have listeners in Dallas, but apparently not enough.

Hat tip to Susan Wise Bauer…

Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-Checking Claims About Thomas Jefferson is only $4.99 at Amazon.com right now.

Coming in 2026: The Christian Past That Wasn’t: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History. Published by Broadleaf Books, available to pre-order for Kindle and hardback at Amazon or wherever books are sold.