The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-05-24

pares his work properly, it will read
very nearly as follows:
1. Extent of our country and its
form of government.
2. Its discovery by the Mortimer
and by Columbus.
s. Character, habits, and destiny
of the native inhabitants.
4. Return of Columbus to Spain
and his three other voyages.
/ ). His impressions concerning his
discovery.
G. Voyage of Americas Nespuc
cius and his claims.
:. Discovery of iueatan. Florida
and the Pacific ocean.
s. Conquest of Mexico and explor-
ations northward.
8. Events on the coast of South
Carolina.
10. Attempts of Narvaez and DE
Soto TO conquer Florida.
IL. Discovery of the Mississippi
river.
II. Discovery of America by Ca
bot and Verazzarri.
I3. Discovery of the St. Lawrence
and Canada by Cartier.
IA. Attempts of Coliguy to found
colony in Florida and cruelty OF
the Span;ards there.
Is. Voyages of Frobishu and
Drake.
16. Failure of Raleigh to make
settlements.
IL. Explorations of the New En-
gland coasts.
Is. French settlements in Acadia
and in Canada.
19. Discovery of Hudson river.
From the above summary anyone
can recite creditable lesson in his
tory, provided he is sufficiently well
versed on the subject to catch his
cue from the headings, but the few
est number of pupils can write out
such summary. Why? / some
times think that it is because one
must possess knowledge before he
can summarize it. But this does not
cover every case. Ihave had pupils
who possessed the knowledge. and
on asking them to write out sum-
mary they made an egregious failure
every time. There must be constant
drill in order to impa.. .he necessary
ability. The pupil will not obtain
this ability in a short time. Five
months willshow some advancement
but nothing commensurate with
your wishes. II will require years
of careful drill. History is not a
branch to be taken up and complet-
ed in a winter; it must run through
the entire common school course. /
think that the school history should
be book of considerable size, three
or four II mo. volumes, and there
should be no aim to hurry through.
As l have already said, our common
text books can give but a smattering
at the best Ask a boy the cause of
the late rebellion. He will answer
slavery, and tell all be knows in that
one word. He knows nothing of the
seething of the political caldron for
thirty years before the war came.
Ask another boy the causes which
led to the revolutionary war. He
will answer: "The British wanted to
levy a tax of three pence a pound
on tea, and the Americans would not
pay it, so King George sent his ar
mics over to force them to do so"
Or he may reply, Taxation without
representation. The latter answer
contains more than the former, but
neither of them goes down to the
bottom of the matter Neither of
them reaches the source of that
thunder cloud that for years was
looming up above the horizon and
finally condensed into the storm of
war and revolution.
Pupils must know something of
causes and effects in studying his
tory. What is there of moment in
the doubtful story of Pocahontas and
Captain Smith? Who cares anything
about the Indian who fired seventeen
point-blank shots at Washington?
What difference does it make wheth-
er Washington was ever wounded in
battle or not? Perhaps in future
tines some one may suggest that he
ke,st out of the reach of bullets.
V4ry much of the history that is put
ir.o orr text books is of the charac
ter mentioned.
am perfectly aware that this ar
ticle is barren Of practical sugges-
tions. The school text book of his
tory from which the best results can
be obtained remains to be written.
Ny next chapter will be on gram