The appropriateness of nationalistic education in the modern global society is questioned since nation-states may be superceded by supra-national or global structures. Schools provide a place for society to prepare younger generations to cherish and protect the interests of that society. Human history reflects this trend as it moves from parental training in basic survival skills to more formal and complex schooling. An historical sketch of the movement to unify a diverse group of immigrants through instruction in the English language and courses in American history provides information on the pre-20th century. Stress is on moral behavior and on the movement by organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Sons of Veterans USA, and the American Legion to cause laws requiring patriotic exercises in the schools to be enacted. Examples of contemporary views of world citizenship are given, including one that compares international patriotism with an athletic competition in which rival loyalties may exist, but which permit their subordination to larger goals and common interests. The conclusion is that American schools must work towards a form of nationalistic education which fosters knowledge of global affairs without false natural bias, skill development in critical thinking about global issues, and creation of a sense of global community. (Author/DB)