This study explores how the British Empire has been portrayed in Swedish upper-secondaryschool history textbooks from three different periods: the 1950s, 1980s, and 2010s. Drawing on Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), together with Postcolonial Theory, the study examines how these textbooks represent colonialism, power, and ideology.

By analyzing textbooks from these decades, the study identifies significant changes in how the British Empire is presented. Textbooks from the 1950s largely depict the Empire through a Eurocentric lens, focusing on economic and administrative achievements while downplaying colonial violence and exploitation. In the 1980s, textbook narratives begin to include some critique of colonial practices, though they remain framed within a largely Eurocentric perspective. By the 2010s, however, postcolonial perspectives become more visible, with greater emphasis on colonial violence, exploitation, and resistance, challenging earlier portrayals.

These changes reflect broader developments in Swedish society and suggest an increased critical engagement with colonial history in educational contexts. The study thus highlights the role of textbooks in shaping students’ understanding of history and stresses the importance of critically examining educational materials to support a more nuanced and inclusive view ofthe past.