The portrayal of the Middle East in school textbooks has been reported to be inaccurate and negative as late as the mid 1990's. Numerous major studies conducted by various researchers and organizations indicate that school textbooks written between the 1970's and 1990's contributed to existing stereotypes of the Middle East held by many Americans. Most of this research was done shortly after these textbooks were written. This historical study evaluates school textbooks that date back to 1898 and compares them to those written in later years (1970-1994). It also offers an explanation for the way the Middle East has been portrayed in school textbooks. This research surveys four time-periods: 1898-1920, 1920-1940, 1945-1965, and 1970-1994. It follows a research methodology similar to previous studies of this nature consisting of a textual analysis of school textbooks. By exploring the biased descriptions of the past, educators can gain insights of what to look for in today's school textbooks to prevent these inaccurate descriptions from being used in American schools again and to comply with new social studies standards that require diverse points of view.