A Brief History of the United States

Barnes & Co.

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• Publié par: tosom
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 80
• Langue: English

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Project Gutenberg's A Brief History of the United
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Title: A Brief History of the United StatesAuthor: Barnes & Co.
Release Date: September, 2004 [EBook #6434]
[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of
schedule] [This file was first posted on December
13, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE U.S. ***
Produced by Robert Prince, Juliet Sutherland,
Charles Franks and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team.
[Illustration: GEORGE WASHINGTON AND
HISTORICAL SCENES]
BARNES'S ONE-TERM HISTORY.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
[Illustration: PLYMOUTH ROCK]* * * * *
PREFACE.
* * * * *
The experience of all teachers testifies to the
lamentable deficiency in historical knowledge
among their pupils; not that children dislike the
incidents and events of history, for, indeed, they
prefer them to the improbable tales which now
form the bulk of their reading, but because the
books are "dry." Those which are interesting are
apt to be lengthy, and the mind consequently
becomes confused by the multitude of details,
while the brief ones often contain merely the dry
bones of fact, uninviting and unreal. An attractive
book which can be mastered in a single term, is
the necessity of our schools. The present work is
an attempt to meet this want in American histories.
In its preparation there has been an endeavor to
develop the following principles:
1. To precede each Epoch by questions and a
map, so that the pupil may become familiar with
the location of the places named in the history he
is about to study.
2. To select only the most important events for the
body of the text, and then, by foot-notes, to give
explanations, illustrations, minor events,anecdotes, &c.
3. To classify the events under general topics,
which are given in distinct type at the beginning of
each paragraph; thus impressing the leading idea
on the mind of the pupil, enabling him to see at a
glance the prominent points of the lesson, and
especially adapting the book to that large and
constantly increasing class of teachers, who
require topical recitations.
4. To select, in the description of each battle, some
characteristic in which it differs from all other
battles—its key-note, by which it can be
recollected; thus not only preventing a sameness,
but giving to the pupil a point around which he may
group information obtained from fuller descriptions
and larger histories.
5. To give only leading dates, and, as far as
possible, to associate them with each other, and
thus assist the memory in their permanent
retention; experience having proved the committing
of many dates to be the most barren and profitless
of all school attainments.
6. To give each campaign as a whole, rather than
to mingle several by presenting the events in
chronological order. Whenever, by the operations
of one army being dependent on those of another,
this plan might fail to show the inter-relation of
events, to prevent such a result by so arranging
the campaigns that the supporting event shall
precede the supported one.7. To give something of the philosophy of history,
the causes and effects of events, and, in the case
of great battles, the objects sought to be attained;
thus leading pupils to a thoughtful study of history,
and to an appreciation of the fact that events hinge
upon each other.
8. To insert, in foot-notes, sketches of the more
important personages, especially the Presidents,
and thereby enable the student to form some
estimate of their characters.
9. To use language, a clause or sentence of which
cannot be selected or committed as an answer to a
question, but such as, giving the idea vividly, will
yet compel the pupil to express it in his own words.
10. To assign to each Epoch its fair proportion of
space; not expanding the earlier ones at the
expense of the later; but giving due prominence to
the events nearer our own time, especially to the
Civil War.
11. To write a National history by carefully avoiding
all sectional or partisan views.
12. To give the new States the attention due to
their importance by devoting space to each one as
it is admitted into the Union, and becomes a
feature in the grand national development.
13. To lead to a more independent use of the
book, and the adoption of the topical mode of
recitation and study, as far as possible, by placing
the questions at the close of the work, rather thanat the bottom of each page.
14. To furnish, under the title of Historical
Recreations, a set of review questions which may
serve to awaken an interest in the class and induce
a more comprehensive study of the book.
Finally—this work is offered to American youth in
the confident belief that as they study the
wonderful history of their native land, they will learn
to prize their birthright more highly, and treasure it
more carefully. Their patriotism must be kindled
when they come to see how slowly, yet how
gloriously, this tree of liberty has grown, what
storms have wrenched its boughs, what sweat of
toil and blood has moistened its roots, what eager
eyes have watched every out-springing bud, what
brave hearts have defended it, loving it even unto
death. A heritage thus sanctified by the heroism
and devotion of the fathers can but elicit the
choicest care and tenderest love of the sons.
[Illustration: MOUNT VERNON]
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION,
FIRST EPOCH.EARLY DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS,
SECOND EPOCH.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLONIES,
THIRD EPOCH.
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR,
FOURTH EPOCH.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATES,
FIFTH EPOCH.
THE CIVIL WAR,
SIXTH EPOCH.
RECONSTRUCTION AND PASSING EVENTS,
* * * * *
APPENDIX.QUESTIONS FOR CLASS USE,
HISTORICAL RECREATIONS,
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE,
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES,
TABLES,
INDEX,
A SUGGESTION TO TEACHERS
[Entered according to Act of Congress, A. D. 1872,
by A. S. Barnes & Co., in the Office of the Librarian
of Congress, at Washington.]
* * * * *
The following method of using this work has been
successfully employed by many teachers. At the
commencement of the study let each pupil be
required to draw an outline map of North America,
at least 18 x 24 inches in size. This should contain
only physical features, viz., coast-line, mountains,
lakes, and rivers. If desired, they may be marked
very faintly at first, and shaded and darkened when
discovered in the progress of the history. As the
pupils advance in the text let them mark on their
maps, day by day, the places discovered, thesettlements, battles, political divisions, etc., with
their dates. They will thus see the country growing
afresh under their hand and eye, and the
geography and the history will be indissolubly
linked. At the close of the term their maps will show
what they have done, and each name, with its
date, will recall the history which clusters around it.
Recitations and examinations may be conducted
by having a map drawn upon the blackboard with
colored crayons, and requiring the class to fill in the
names and dates, describing the historical facts as
they proceed. In turn, during review, the pupil
should be able, when a date or place is pointed
out, to state the event associated with it.
It will be noticed that the book is written on an
exact plan and method of arrangement. The topics
of the epochs, chapters, sections and paragraphs
form a perfect analysis; thus, in each Presidential
Administration, the order of subjects is uniform,
viz.: Domestic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Political
Parties—the subsidiary topics being grouped under
these heads. The teacher is therefore commended
to place on the board the analysis of each Epoch,
and conduct the recitation from that without the
use of the book in the class.
[Illustration: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNITED
STATES]
INTRODUCTION.