Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-19
ERRORS IN TEXT BOOKS
GEN. BoYNToN's CRITICISM OF
UNITED STATES HISTORIES.
Says Use of Certain Publications in
Public Schools Should Be
Prohibited.

At last nights meeting Of the board of
education at the Franklin building, General
Boynton, president of the board, made an
other strong criticism Of several text books
of United States history used in the public
schools, and urged that these histories
should be withdrawn from the schools until
serious errors contained in them in regard
to the war of the rebellion have been elm
mated or corrected. In his address to the
board General Boynton said:
Through your action a year ago, which
was Endorsed by the board, the publishers
of six Of the most widely used school his
tories corrected numerous errors in the
chapters on the civil war, causing them to
conform to the official records. The i'm
portance of this work was widely recog-
niZed. since teaching erroneous history to
the millions of our school children is Little
less than crime.
The Boards Duty.
.As the nation shares equally with the
District of Columbia in the support of our
extended school organization, it seems en-
tirely fitting that this board should make
some return to the country at large. 1t is
doubtful if it can perform a greater service
in this direction than to avail itself of its
access to the official records of the war, and
point out to the boards of education of the
country the errors of fact concerning the
civil war which seriously mar the majority
of the school histories in most general use.
If other boards of education would fol ow
the course pursued by the Washington
board and suspend the use of faulty text
books until the publishers corrected their
plates, work of vast Importance and of
permanent character would be accom-
plished.
with such purpose in view L have
made further collection of school histories
- ~ rv.,;t
monty used in the public schools of the
country, and tested their chapters on the
civil war by the official records. The Cit
icisms herewith presented deal with errors
of fact, and not with opinion
while essentially the same errors are
repeated in a number Of these text books,
showing much copying from each other, or
from common source Of error, 1t seems
best to repeat the necessary corrections in
the notes pertaining to each book. Many
minor errors have been ignored
'All of which is respectfully submitted
for such action as the committee on text
books may deem advisable. -..-
Alleged Erroneous Publications.
THE histories thus tested, and the use of
which, in my judgment. should be suspend
ed in all schools until the publishers cor
rect their errors. are the following:
students History Of the United States. By
Edward Claiming, professor of history in
Harvard University. The Macmillan Com
pany. New York and London.
"A Short History of the United States, for
School Use. BY Edward Claiming, profess
sor of history in Harvard University. The
Macmillan Company, London and New
York.
Our Country. Text Book for Schools.
CHM & Co. Boston and London
History of the American Nation. Nc
Laughlin. professor Of American history in
the University of Michigan. New York, D.
Appleton & Co.
"A Bird's-eye View of the Civil War Col
T. A. Dodge-Students' Edition. Houghton,
Miffiin & Co.. Boston and New York.
"Mowry's History of the United States.
Silver. Burdette & Co.
Young Folks History Of the United
States. Col. Thomas w. Higginson. Long
mans. Green & Co.. New York London and
Bombay. - -..
"Gordy's History of the United States for
Shoots New York, Charles Scribners
Sons
Chambers Higher Histories of the United
States. BY Henry f. Chambers, author of
a School History of the United States. Uni
versity Publishing Company, New York and
New Orleans.
Young Peoples History of Our Country.
BY Edward S. Ellis. A. NJ. author of the
Peoples Standard History of the United
States. T. R. Shewell & Co.. Boston, New
York, Chicago" H..
Submitted for Boards Action.
General Boynton also called attention to
certain testimony taken during the recent
investigation of public school affairs by the
District Commissioners and said he would
call up the subject at future meeting for
such action as the board might deem
proper.
Changes in the schools were reported and
approved as follows:
Promotions-B. E. Cole. from second to
third grade; A. E. Compton, from $475 to
500 per annum; c. F. Moore, from $3.50 to
$475 per annum.
Appontments-Robert Brown, teacher at
$3.50 per annum; Virginia Alexander. teacher
of Latin In the Western High School at a
salary of $3.50 per annum; Dr. Wilbur
Phelps. temporary teacher of chemistry in
the Central High School al a salary of $3.50
per annum: Maud L. Thomas, substitute
teacher in the public schools.