Every six years, the Texas State Board of Education holds public hearings as part of the complex process of "adopting" or approving primary and secondary school textbooks for free distribution to over 1,100 public school districts. Publishers vie to capture a share of this extremely large and lucrative market by placing their products in one of usually five approved slots in each subject category. The significance of the textbook approval process extends far beyond the borders of the Lone Star State, since sales of titles successful in Texas often soar nationwide as well. In an interesting coincidence, the commemoration of 1492 has overlapped with the Texas adoptions cycle for eighth- and ninth-grade U.S. history textbooks. Those who follow these proceedings naturally expected the big story to be the extent to which the new U.S. history books reflected themes, such as multiculturalism, inspired by the Columbus quincentenary.