 Section 10 of the History Teacher's Magazine, Volume 1, Number 5, January 1910. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The History Teacher's Magazine, Volume 1, Number 5, January 1910. By Various. Section 10, European History in the Secondary School. DC Nolten PhD Editor, The Religious Wars. Some general considerations. The long period of struggle which followed the reform movement of the 16th century seems of comparatively little importance besides the revolt itself. And yet, it offers possibilities of treatment which the secondary teacher cannot well afford to neglect. The modern tendency in textbook writing has been to suppress the details of wars in order to allow for a fuller treatment of other phases of development. Assuming that the teachers of the past generations and not a few of the present day have been laying too much emphasis on details of this character, the pendulum has seemed at times to swing too far in the direction of elimination and condensation in the treatment of great epic making wars. Many an opportunity has thereby been neglected of inculcating great truths which could more easily be exemplified by stories drawn from the battlefield than from the less stirring episodes. Wars are often presented in so cursory a fashion as to convey little idea of their real character and significance. They become little less than dry summaries of causes and effects and are stripped altogether of that personal element which is so necessary to the attainment of the best results in history teaching. The possibility of utilizing these struggles as a correlating element has usually been farthest from the thought of the teacher or at best been but imperfectly realized. The religious wars afford the teacher not only the possibility of vivid biographic treatment but may serve to bind the closer certain common lines of development peculiar to the Europe of the latter part of the 16th century and the first half of the 17th century. Luther and the beginnings of the Protestant revolt. There can be but very little choice of method in the presentation of the facts connected with the beginnings of the Protestant revolt. Luther's life must be taken up in more or less detail and the attention directed to the various influences with which he came in contact. To secure a proper understanding of the effects of his teachings and political as well as the religious background of his endeavors must carefully be sketched. Little difficulty will probably be experienced in showing how the Renaissance movement became intimately associated with church reform as it passed the barriers of the Alps and took hold of the more serious minded Germans. This connection is much easier to establish from the fact that the attention of the class had been drawn to the part taken by Erasmus in the Renaissance proper. The question will probably arise as to how far the teacher should delve into the more distant past to resurrect the various efforts at reform which marked the earlier centuries. An opportunity for a resume of this character should be heartily welcomed as it serves better than any formal review to test the grasp by the student of the facts already covered. When the teacher is ready to take up the revolt itself there is apparently but one logical method of securing results and that is to present Luther's life in as much detail as time will permit showing how he himself driven by the force of his own logic into a position entirely antagonistic to the church as it was then established. The parting of the ways is reached with the great scene at warms. Contrary to his expectations his protest within the church had made him not only his avowed enemy but the founder of a new sect. Characteristics of period from 1521 to 1648 It is a comparatively easy matter to dispose of the remaining events in this drama in which Luther the Emperor and the Pope are the main actors. But in what connection and in how much detail shall the teacher present the beginnings of the reform movement in other countries, the counter movement in the Catholic church and the struggle which arose over questions of religion in every land where Protestantism secured a foothold. The fact that sooner or later the struggle between Catholics and Protestants resolved itself into a civil war of considerable proportions makes it possible to utilize these struggles as the principle unifying element in the treatment of the entire period from 1521 to 1648. This plan differs from the ordinary arrangement of material to be found in the textbook in that it places less stress upon the beginnings of the reform movement outside of Germany subordinating these details to the wars as the central theme and directing the attention of the student only to such events as help to explain the character of these struggles. The teacher must however bear in mind throughout that the story of no European country or group of countries in this troubled period admits of being told as detached from the contemporary history of its neighbors, allies, or adversaries. Beyond emphasizing the fact that the revolt spread to other lands it is a question whether the time is wisely spent in treating in detail the Calvinistic movement emanating from Geneva or the beginning of Presbyterianism in Scotland or the overthrow of Catholicism in England. The one central idea which the student should grasp as a result of his study of the period an idea which is decidedly within the range of his comprehension and appreciation is that religion which had long been a dominant factor in European politics now lost its power to sway the political destinies of thrones and empires. In fact a new era had dawned in which the church found itself removed from politics and the world given over to interests of quite a different character. This change may be illustrated further along by the insignificant part taken by the representative of the Pope in the deliberations concerning the treaties of Westphalia. The growth of toleration should also be noted as an important characteristic of this new period. Finally the student's attention may with profit be directed to the general tendency in these struggles. Finally the student's attention may with profit be directed to the general tendency in these struggles toward the subordination of the higher interests of religion to selfish and dynastic interests. Time and again religion serves merely as a cloak for the concealment of ambitions of the most secular character. The ideals of true religion were perhaps never more perverted from their true ends and made to serve the basest and lowest uses. After calling attention briefly to the fact that this spirit of revolt manifested itself in other countries, a logical plan of presentation would be first to discuss the ineffectual efforts of the Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X to check the movement as it spread through Germany with an explanation of their failures, then to describe the more successful efforts in this direction taken within the Church itself and known as the Counter-Reformation. And finally to introduce Philip II as the great champion of orthodoxy, devoting his entire energies and the resources of that great empire to the superhuman task of restoring the Church to its former position of power and influence. His career calls up Alva's efforts to subdue the Netherlands and that heroic figure, William the Silent, and the sailing of the great Armada. One semi-religious war, if not two, have already been under discussion in connection with these efforts to suppress the revolt, the Dutch War of Independence and the Spanish Armada. Here is apparently the proper place to introduce the other struggles, beginning with the Thirty Years' War in Germany, then taking up in turn the Huguenot Wars in France and the Puritan Revolution in England, and closing the period with the sequel to this last struggle, the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The Thirty Years' War. It is natural to turn to Germany first in presenting the religious wars because of the greater familiarity of the student with conditions there. The order becomes thereby strictly chronological as the Schemalkalctic War broke out in 1546, or, in other words, earlier by several years than either of the other struggles. This war gave rise to the Peace of Augsburg, which was a source of so much discontent that it has been counted as one of the greatest factors in bringing on the main struggle. Among the points which seem to call for special emphasis are the mixture of religious and political causes underlying the struggle and the general participation of many of the great powers of Western Europe. This fact served to prolong the war and to give it a more European character and a wider significance. It was not merely a question of Cuyus Regio, a yes, religio, but of important dynastic and territorial interests. The efforts directed toward the overthrow of the power of the Habsburgs and the peculiar interests of Denmark, Sweden, and England in the contest call for special emphasis. The power of the Habsburgs in the time of Charles V and later can be shown to good advantage by the use of outline maps. At least three great personalities dominate the scene, Wallenstein, Richelieu, and Gustavus Adolfus, all of whom furnish rich material for biographical study. Although it is possible to follow the campaigns with an Atlas like Putzger, this study is comparatively barren of results except as it throws light upon the military genius of a Wallenstein or on the prowess of the Lion of the North. The effects of the war were to be seen in Germany in the weakness of the central government and in the wretchedness and misery consequent upon thirty years of marching and counter- marching on the heart of hostile armies. The pictures sketched by Gardner in his Thirty Years' War is well-nigh incredible. The territorial changes which followed the war can best be shown by the preparation of a map. They are much more readily appreciated if they appear by themselves. See, for example, the map in Harding, Essentials, page 339, or Wakeman, Ascendancy of France, 1598 to 1715, page 124. The French Wars of Religion The treatment of the religious wars in France will differ slightly from that of the Thirty Years' War as it becomes necessary in this connection to introduce a few facts about Calvinism. This need not involve much more than the briefest possible statement of what Calvin taught, pointing out how his teachings appeal to the intellectual and the understanding rather than to the emotions, as did those of Luther. As a result, the Huguenots counted among their numbers some of the best families of France. The personal element can be made very prominent in these struggles, as was largely the intrigues of two families, Jesus and the Bourbons, aided and abetted by the Queen Mother Catherine de Medici, which kept France embroiled for all these years. Here, too, is to be noted the same situation which prevailed in Germany, namely, the apparent powerlessness of the French people to solve their own religious and dynastic troubles alone without the interference of outside nations, notably England and Spain. Selfish and dynastic interests seem to have decidedly the upper hand here as contrasted with Germany. Much can be made of such dramatic episodes as the massacre of Saint Bartholomew and the conversion of the Huguenot leader, Henri of Navarre. The edict of Nantes and its effect upon France should be contrasted with religious clauses in the treaties of Vosphélia. The great problem which the settlement raised with a star within a state made necessary the work of Richelieu, whose career can now be rounded out by showing how he was laboring for one and the same end in his treatment of the Huguenots at home and his support of the Protestants abroad. French history is thus brought down to the age of Louis XIV. The Puritan Revolution. The English struggle can be discussed along much of the same lines as the war in France and Germany. More should perhaps be given to pointing out the effects of the Renaissance on England and the great intellectual, economic, social and religious changes which had come to pass in the time of the Tudors. Their reigns mark the great period in English history. The dominant characteristic of English development, the growth of liberty, which had often placed England in sharp contrast on the continent, was never more prominently displayed than during the period under consideration. The Great Civil War partakes of the two-fold character of the continental wars. It marks on the one hand a struggle between two religious sects. On the other hand, a contest between the king and the representatives of the people. The prominence of the general upheaval following the break with Rome have served to isolate it more or less from the struggles of the continent. The gains of for freedom. The gains for freedom, which were the final outcome of the struggle, differentiated it from those in France and Germany. Henry IV and Richelieu prepared the way for the absolution of Louis XIV. In Germany, the disorganization and demoralization of the central government placed the destinies of the German people in the hands of rival princes whose political creed may be summed up in the words of Frederick William I of Prussia. Quote, Salvation belongs to the Lord. Everything else is my business. End quote. The rulers of England, on the contrary, were power and authority. The admission of the principle of government was not entirely the work of the Puritan Revolution, but needed the additional lesson of the tyranny and overthrow of James II. Not the least important among the benefits which the movement of 1688 conferred upon England was the general recognition of the principle of toleration. The opportunity which this method affords the teacher of contrasting English conditions with those on the continent should lead to a better understanding and appreciation of England's relation to and part in general European progress. Her internal history furnishes another illustration of the great characteristics of this period, the passing of religious questions from the sphere of politics and the appearance of issues of an entirely different character. Bibliography. The textbook will probably be found to furnish all the material needed for the presentation of this period with the possible exception of details of a biographical character. The Heroes of the Nation series contains good biographies of Gustavus Adolphus by C. R. L. Fletcher of Henry IV by P. F. Willard and of Cromwell by Charles Firth. These may be supplemented by the volume in the Foreign Statesman series on Resilu by R. Lodge on William the Silent by Frederick Harrison and on Philip II by Martin Hume. The volumes in the Epics of Modern History series which cover this period, the Thirty Years' War and the Puritan Revolution by S. R. Gardner furnish considerable supplementary information in a convenient and compact form. The best atlases are probably Putzger and Gardener. Atlas of English History. End of Section 10. Section 11 of the History Teacher's Magazine Volume 1, Number 5, January 1910. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by D. Randall. The History Teacher's Magazine Volume 1, Number 5, January 1910. By Various. Section 11. History in the Great by Armand J. Gershon, Editor. The Admission of Missouri. A Type Lesson. Happily, our pupils nowadays are no longer compelled to commit to memory lists of the states admitted during each administration. While we are all agreed as to the frutility of this antiquated practice, we must at the same time recognize that no pupil should leave our schools without a fairly definite idea of the process by which new states are created. This knowledge is essential to a comprehension of the present condition of the nation and of its development in the future. It is the purpose of the present article how a grasp of the process of admitting states may be developed by means of the story of the admission of someone typical state. Vermont and Kentucky at once suggest themselves because of the very early date of their formation. To these states, however, as to others admitted in the first few administrations, there is the objection that their admission was not typical of the process. This is due to their previous dependence upon or relation to some of the original states. Missouri, on the other hand, lying west of the Mississippi may be said to typify most of the states subsequently admitted. Another reason for the choice of Missouri lies in the fact that our courses of study require us to present the subject of the Missouri Compromise, thus furnishing the best excuse in the world for developing in that connection our type lesson on the admission of new states. The first point that should be developed is the relation between the national government and the territory of the United States. Only one definite reference to this relation occurs in the Federal Constitution. In Article 4, Section 3, we find this statement, the Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States. We should impress our pupils with the significance of this clause, which places in the hands of the national legislature complete control over United States territory. The wide extent of land which had come into our possession by the Louisiana Purchase could be disposed of by Congress in any way that it might see fit. In this land lay the future state of Missouri. Having thus given due consideration to the general relation between the United States government and the territory which it owns, we should pass next to the question of the creation of new states. Our pupils are presumably acquainted with the necessity of referring to the Constitution for any reference to a matter of fundamental national law. It might be worthwhile to have the children themselves find the constitutional provision which relates to the admission of states. The first part of Article 4, Section 3, provides that new states may be admitted by the Congress into this union. The rest of the clause, as far as our present purpose is concerned, may be dispensed with. Attention should be called to the extreme indefiniteness of this provision and to the general fact that while the Constitution gives Congress full control of United States territory and further delegates to it in the power to admit new states, the actual modal procedure has been left to Congress itself to work out. The Ordinance of 1787 next calls for reference and rapid review. For the purposes of this lesson, the ordinance is important as having furnished the type of territory destined to become an integral part of our political organization. Further, it had made definite provision for the future admission of states to be carved out of the Northwest Territory. To be sure, this ordinance was the work of the Continental Congress but it had been re-enacted by the First Congress under the Constitution as early as 1789. The process mapped out in this famous ordinance had already furnished the model for the creation of territories and the admission of states in various parts of the country. The Territory of Missouri originally, as we have said, a part of the Louisiana Purchase was organized by Act of Congress June 4th, 1812. The class must be brought to see the significance of this organization. As a territory, Missouri had definite boundaries and an organized government. It had a governor appointed by the President of the United States and a territorial legislature. It, of course, had no voice in national affairs and was, in last resort, subject to the will of Congress. A flood of immigration from the eastern states rapidly increased the population of the new territory. It may be well because of the subsequent significance of the fact to point out that a large pro-slavery element had made repeated unsuccessful attempts to secure for slavery the states which so far had been made from the Northwest Territory. The anti-slavery provision of the Northwest Ordinance, however, continued to hold good and slaveholders began to look across the Mississippi for the extension of their dominion. So rapid was the increase of population in Missouri that in less than six years after its organization as a territory, we find it seeking admission as a state. In the early months of 1818, several memorials were presented in the House Petitioning for Statehood and on April 3rd of that year an Enabling Act was introduced. The discussion of the Enabling Act constitutes one of the most important type elements of our lesson. Normally the passing of such an act by Congress must be regarded as the first step in the transition of a territory to a state. There are to be sure some striking instances where states have been admitted without the previous passage of an Enabling Act by Congress. Texas and California are cases in point but in our type lesson we are concerned with a normal practice only. We must develop in our pupils the idea of an Enabling Act as the authorization of a territory by Congress to adopt a state constitution and present itself for admission into the Union on equal terms with the other states. The act further fixes the boundaries of the prospective state. As we have already mentioned an Enabling Act for the admission of Missouri had been introduced into the House as early as April 3rd, 1818. The passage of the final Missouri Enabling Act however did not take place until March 6th, 1820. The fact that this delay was caused by the bitter fight over slavery extension must by all means be emphasized but the history of the struggle in Congress of the amendments, references, committee reports, etc. is far too complex to form a part of any elementary lesson. It will be sufficient if our pupils understand that there was a constant struggle to preserve the balance of slave and free states to grasp the significance of the admission of Alabama in 1819 and of the application of Maine in that same year. The Enabling Act of 1820 as typical of Enabling Acts in general should receive careful attention. Section 1 authorizes the people of the territory of Missouri to form for themselves a constitution and state government and to assume such name as they shall deem proper. Section 2 consists of an exact statement of the boundaries of the new state. The phrasing of these sections is significant, typical, and interesting and should be presented to the class in full. Section 7 states that the new Constitution when drafted shall be transmitted to Congress. This provision for approval by federal authority is important and characteristic of Enabling Acts in general which regularly require the applicant state to submit its constitution for approval to the federal government usually to Congress. Section 8 of the Enabling Act embodies the Missouri Compromise and is of great importance on that account. As far however as the mere question of the admission of new states is concerned this section cannot be considered pertinent. If the teacher's aim is to present the admission of Missouri and the Missouri Compromise as one general topic full consideration of this section must here be given otherwise passing reference will suffice. The people of Missouri acting under authority of their Enabling Act at once proceeded to frame a state constitution beyond the fact that state constitutions are framed by conventions chosen by the people and are usually submitted to the people themselves for ratification. The intimate details of the process will serve rather to confuse than to clarify the idea we are seeking to develop. Suffice it to say that a pro-slavery constitution was finally adopted in July 1820 and transmitted to Congress later in that year. Let me repeat at this point that it is of the utmost importance in all our history work that we shall emphasize essentials and omit entirely the discussion of intricate points which while of some constitution of importance and frequently of great interest to the mature student can only work harm if introduced into the work of the grades. It is in accordance with this principle that I would advocate reducing to a minimum any discussion of the contest which occurred in Congress over the question of the Missouri Constitution. The class should of course understand that there was such a contest and that Henry Clay did more than any other one man to bring it to an amicable conclusion. On March 2, 1821 the resolution to admit Missouri as the state was approved and on August 10th a proclamation announced the addition of another star to the flag. End of section 11 Section 12 of the History Teachers Magazine Volume 1, Number 5, January 1910. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Betty B. The History Teachers Magazine Volume 1, Number 5, January 1910 by various. Section 12, Reports from the Historical Field. Walter H. Cushing Editor. The Historical Association, English. English Teachers of History organized an association about three years ago in May 1906. At a preliminary meeting held at University College London it was resolved to form an historical association. On June 30th of the same year a constitution and bylaws were adopted and officers of the association were elected. All persons are eligible for membership who are engaged or interested in the teaching of history. The annual subscription to the association is five shillings payable on July 1st. The president is Professor C.H. Firth Oxford. The treasurer is J.E. Morris and the secretary is M.B. Curran. Six South Square grays in London WC. There are 15 vice presidents including men and women connected with college and school life of the kingdom, many of whom are well known in America. In addition to these officers there is a council of 29 persons. The association has established a number of local branches which in March 1909, Number 13. The activities of the association are the holding of annual meetings, the encouragement of local centers and the study of local history and the publication of a series of leaflets. Up to June 1909, these leaflets numbered 17. The topics treated are as follows. Number one, source books. Number two, some books on the teaching of history in schools. Number three, a summary of historical examinations including matriculation examinations and entrance scholarships. Number four, addressed by the right honorable James Bryce on the teaching of history in schools. Number five, a brief bibliography of British history for the use of teachers. Number six, books upon general history, ancient history and European history. Number seven, supplementary reading. Number eight, books on colonial history and the history of the British empire. Number nine, bibliography of Exeter. Number ten, addressed by Thomas Hodgkin Esquire on the teaching of history in schools. Number 11, the teaching of local history. Number 12, illustrations, portraits and lantern slides chiefly for British and modern history. Number 13, historical maps and atlases. Number 14, bibliography of London. Number 15, the teaching of civics in public schools. Number 16, the revolutionary and Napoleonic era. Number 17, an experiment in the teaching of history. California Association. The program for the history section of the California Teachers Association is Wednesday, December 29, 1909. Topic, the correlation of grade and high school history teaching. Papers, I.D. Steele, San Jose High School. Miss Minnie Mayer, Girls High School, San Francisco. Discussion opened by Miss Lucy R. Watkins, Watsonville High School. R.D. Faulkner, Horace Mann Grammar School, San Francisco. Topic, the correlation of history with other subjects in the teaching of history in the high school. Papers, I.D. Adams, Stanford University. TM Marshall, Alameda High School. Discussion opened by Miss Eleanor Johnson, Oakland High School. F.H. Clark, Lowell High School, San Francisco. Officers, President J.N. Bowman, Secretary H.W. Edwards. On the principle of history being a continuous subject from grade to university, grade and high school teachers were united in the same section. This plan has been adopted by the English section also and others are thinking of it. New York City Conference. The New York Conference of History Teachers held its meeting on Saturday December 11, 1909 at the College of the City of New York. After the opening address Professor Henry Johnson of Teachers College of Columbia University gave the principle paper upon special aids to visualization in the teaching of history. This was followed by a discussion upon the solution of some practical difficulties. This Francis E. Chapman of the Flushing High School spoke upon lack of judgment. This Clara Burns of the Normal College on the lack of vocabulary. Ms. Edith M. Tufts of the Spayer School upon the failure to understand alien morals. And Mr. James G. Crosswell of the Brearley School upon lack of imagination. At the close of the meeting a luncheon was held in a neighboring hotel. The report of the committee on nomination for Officers for 1909 to 10 was adopted as follows for Chairman Livingston Mr. Joe Schuyler Secretary Daniel C. Nolton Treasurer W. Franklin Brush for members of the Executive Committee Ms. Clara Burns Arthur B. Butler William Fairley, James G. Crosswell This New York Conference was organized in response to an unanimous vote of the Third Annual Convention of the Association of History Teachers of the Middle States and Maryland which authorized the formation of local conferences of history teachers The announcement of the conference meeting states that the primary purpose of the conference is the same as that of the association to advance the study and teaching of history and government through discussion and to promote personal acquaintance among teachers and students of history In these meetings a large number of teachers can be reached whose duties and location prevent them from attending conventions at a distance The conferences also afford opportunities for wider discussion than is possible at the meetings of the association Pre-statement of opinion indicates lines of work of great worth and interest The Constitution and organization are of the simplest type and the fee a nominal one of $1 a year Missouri Society The Missouri Society of Teachers of History and Government in the Central High School Building St. Louis The following program has been arranged Tuesday afternoon, December 28 1.45 Address William Schuyler, McKinley High School St. Louis What topics in ancient and medieval history need special emphasis to prepare the pupil for the modern period Ms. Ellen B. Atwater Central High School St. Louis Discussion Professor N. M. Trenholm, Columbia Wednesday afternoon, December 29 1.45 History in the Grades Geographic Influences in American History Ms. Grace Graves, Hannibal Victories of War vs. Victories of Peace Ms. Fanny Bennett, 8th Grade Siegel School, St. Louis Discussion The Future Citizen and Civics Instruction in the High School Principal Essay Baker Joplin Discussion Collection of Papers for General Secretary and for Society Secretary Business Meeting Preliminary Reports of Committees 1. On History Instruction in the High Schools of Missouri E. M. Violet State Normal, Kirksville 2. On History Instruction in the Grades A cordial invitation is extended to all to visit the valuable collection of the Missouri Historical Society from the 1600 Locust Street hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The officers are President H. R. Tucker, St. Louis Vice President Jesse Lewis Maryville, Secretary and Treasurer Eugene Fair Kirksville Editor N. M. Trenholm, Columbia A Bibliography of History for Schools The Bibliography of History for Schools, which was published serially last year Atlantic Educational Quarterly is about to be issued in more elaborate form by Longman, Green and Company. The work seems to meet a need among teachers who find it difficult to keep abreast of available historical literature in English and who are often in doubt as to the relative merits of various standard works. The Bibliography as enlarged and revised will contain selected lists of the most approved historical books published, covering the whole field of history with separate sections devoted to historical reading for children. The portions relating to American history will be worked out with unusual fullness and care. Works on aids to history, method, universal history, biography, ecclesiastical, constitutional and economic history will also be included and especially prepared list of books on American government will be included. Every work mentioned, whether in one volume or many volumes will be carefully annotated in a criticism of from 2 to 20 lines and in the case of larger works at even greater length. Each entry will contain the name of the author, the title of the work in full, year of publication, price and name of the publisher. The Bibliography has been prepared by a committee of the Maryland History Teachers Association of the Charles M. Andrews of the Johns Hopkins University. Mr. J. Montgomery Gambrill, head of the Department of History and Civics of the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Ms. Lyda Lee Tall, supervisor of grammar grades Baltimore County, Maryland. It will be issued under the auspices of the Association of History Teachers of the Middle States and Maryland. End of section 12. Section 13 of the History Teachers Magazine Volume 1, Number 5, January 1910. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Betty B. The History Teachers Magazine Volume 1, Number 5, January 1910. By Various. Section 13, Correspondence, Use of Sources. St. Louis, November 29th, 1909. Editor, History Teachers Magazine. Kindly permit me to write a word in regard to Professor Faye's criticism of Professor Fling's article in the September number of your excellent magazine. Professor Fling some years ago lays the trail for reform and history instruction throughout the country. Like every sociological reformer he advanced a theory which many, perhaps only few, were willing to carry out in its entirety. But what man who is a reformer does have his whole scheme adopted? Professor Fling did certainly arouse history teachers from their lethargy and from the one book method of teaching. At least he contributed in no small part to this result. I can find nothing in Professor Fling's article at variance with modern educational studies. It does not argue I take it that we shall make trained historical scholars out of our high school pupils. But it does argue and rightly so it seems to me that we give them a glimpse of the material out of which history is written. What better way to get them to practice the critical attitude towards the printed page? Professor Faye says that the sources should not be in the hands of the pupils being unsuited to their mental capacity. They should be accompanied with first year and with fourth year pupils and in all periods of history. The use of them requires more work by the teacher. They should generally be accompanied by questions or topics or they can profitably be made a source of class study. What an excellent opportunity of teaching the pupils how to study. A thing in which but few high school students are entirely proficient. I will admit that I am not prepared to indicate and apply internal and external criticism to references twice a week. But because we cannot endorse his method entirely should we reject it entirely. There are many ideas which he advances in the Salamis study which can easily be followed in many other periods. The use of sources will be very imperfectly handled in the hands of an unskilled teacher but that is no criticism on the use of them. What better reference for 1789 in France than the source Arthur Young's travels. In using such an attractive work must we not raise the very questions which Professor Flings suggests in the Salamis study. A study of one page of the expense account of the South Carolina legislature during reconstruction days will mean more than a whole chapter of secondary authority on reconstruction expenses. By the way, could civics be taught without the sources? History instruction is to furnish information but it is also to develop discriminating judgment. In the use of the sources to what extent will depend on the teacher these results will be attained and the subject vitalized more than in any other way. The fact that we cannot afford two recitations a week when only four are given to history is no argument against the method. Professor Flings statements as to allotment of time were made with reference to five hours a week for history. And anyway, it is immaterial whether we can follow Professor Flings method according to the letter. We certainly in our high school instruction need to follow the spirit of his method. In fact, from one paragraph of Professor Faye's article where he says he would rouse the pupil's interest in scenes and countries removed by time and space from themselves it would mean that he would use the source. The difference is one of degree, not of kind. One of how to use them not whether to use them or no. H.R. Tucker William McKinley High School St. Louis. School libraries, editor history teachers magazine. The question raised by Mr. Parham librarian of the Little Rock High School in the November number concerning the supply of reference books in history is a very vital one. I should like to make one or two remarks by way of relating some things concerning the making of the library in the state normal school with which I am connected. Our library has been created practically within the last six years. Prior to that time it consisted of a few hundred volumes indifferently selected and poorly adapted to classroom needs. From the beginning of its reorganization, every instructor who has had anything to do with the ordering of books has sought to purchase duplicate copies of those books which his classes will use in their classwork from day to day. The aim has been to make it possible for every member of the class to read the same references and duplicates ranging from three to twenty have been purchased. The general plan has been to have one copy for about every three members in the class. As a result we have numerous duplicates of those titles that are used as references for general class work. Of course these books will wear out pretty rapidly. Some are already well worn out and in a short time they will all have to be replaced. But this will give us an opportunity to put other books that have been more recently written in their place and thus keep abreast of the times. But all our purchases have not been made in this manner. We have been ordering many other books in single copies which are used chiefly for theme or thesis work. Though there are occasions when the entire class will be sent to several different books for a given subject. So successful has this plan of buying duplicate copies in large numbers been that we are constantly advising those who consult us to do the same thing. Just the other day a high school teacher wrote me that she had thirty five dollars to spend for library books on ancient history for a class of seventy. I immediately wrote her recommending that she put practically all of that precious thirty five dollars in just two titles. Tucker's Life of the Ancient Greeks and John Stone's Private Life of the Romans. I estimated that she could get about ten copies of each of these titles and perhaps have enough left to buy Oman's or Buri's History of Greece and Howe and Lays or Pelham's History of Rome. I am sure that the results she will get from this scheme will be far more satisfactory than they would be if she spent all of her money for single copies of a great many more titles. There may be objections to giving the same assignment of reading to the entire class but I have found in my own work here that the students in the history courses of high school rank and those also of college rank do better work and get better results if they are most of the time given identically the same assignments of reading. I believe most firmly in the definite assignment of pages in a book for the day after day work. The student may be left to his own devices in some instances but not in many and the only way to make this plan work is to buy numerous duplicate titles of at least a few books and to keep this up until all the books for general class work have been purchased. When that is done then attention can be given to stocking up the library with those books that will be needed in single copies only. If there is anything fundamentally wrong with this method of doing things I should like to have it pointed out so far it has been the way of salvation to us here and to many others around us. E. M. Violette Department of History State Normal School, Perksville, Missouri Editor History Teachers Magazine We have recently placed in our history and other classes a series of underwood and underwood stereographs we kindly publish in the History Teachers Magazine Some suggestions as to how they may be used with profit. Among others we have placed one of the complete Italian tours. We shall have about 6C in Roman history next semester. Any suggestions you may see fit to publish will be highly appreciated. I cannot stop without telling you how much I enjoy the magazine. It grows better each month. The suggestions are very helpful. I have worked a number of them out and find them exceedingly practical. It is always with considerable pleasure that I look forward to the delivery of the magazine. It is a timely publication and will do much for the history teaching throughout the nation. C. R. G. Have our readers any suggestions to offer for such work. Pacific Coast Branch The Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association held its annual meeting at Stanford University November at 19th to 20th. The afternoon session of Saturday the 20th was devoted to history in the secondary schools. The topic being ancient history in the first year of the high school. A very practical paper was read by W. C. Westergaard of the Alameda High School on the subject points of contact between ancient history and the present. The discussion that followed brought out several points. Ancient history has been the object of attack by several critics of the high schools and if it is to retain its place it must justify itself. It is the weak point in our secondary history work chiefly for two reasons. One it is the most remote of the four fields and yet is put before beginners whose mental power is undeveloped. Two it is usually placed in charge of less experienced teachers than are the other courses. The method set forth in the essay is well calculated to overcome the first of these conditions. Children enjoy discussing historical problems of a simple sort. E.g. the conduct of the Romans after Caudine forks. The wisdom of Caesar's clemency. Anything that will make the man of the past real is useful. Value of letters, plinies, etc. After the discussion was closed the election of officers resulted in the choice of Professor E.D. Adams, Stanford University President, Professor J.N. Bowman, University of California Secretary-Treasurer. H.W.E. End of section 13. End of the History Teachers Magazine Volume 1, Number 5 January, 1910 by Various.