Historical facts are not easy to counter and appeal to the reader's logic. This works in Gatto's favor because he is trying to convince a very large audience of diverse opinions and educations to share his point of view. He questions the credibility of the current school system by comparing it to the education of American historical figures such as George Washington and Thomas Edison. He then goes on to argue the true purpose of the system using figures and historical precedents – primarily the Prussianization of the school system. Gatto is a passionate libertarian, which may partly explain why he chose to mention political figures and the institution of the school system.