Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-02-08
HISTORY COURSE
BY j. 8. BUREAU

In response to more than a Thousand
requests from various parts Of tht
country. the bureau of education, de
paitment Of the interior. has just addec
to its list Of reading courses a reading
course in American history. In an
nouncing the new course DR.. T.. +
ClaXton. commissioner of education
declares:
IAN American citizens should know
more Of the hstor of their countr
than can be learned from the meage
outlines fthe textbooks used in oui
elementary and high schools. That
large number of people should haV,
such general and comprehensive
knowledge Of the country, its life ant
growth and the form and spirit Of it
institutions. as can be gained only from
reading at least several of the stan
dard histories is essential to the wei
fare Of the republic. 1t every nationa
election and at many state and mum
cipal elections the people are called up
ON to vote on policies which cannot be-
intelligently determined without sucl
knowledge. Legislators and other rep.
resentatiVeS of the people are constant
Y in need OF it, Only out of the his
tory Of the past can come an under
standing of the principles by which
they must be guided if they are t
work wisely for the future To read ex-
( tensiVely and deeply in the history OF
/ the country becomes therefore a patri-
otlc duty. only thus can one love his
land with love far brought from OUT
the stored past, used within the
present
Those who have learned to read his
tory find il the most interesting form
Of literature. The story of any coun-
try or Of any great movement OF any
people. fifty told. is interesting, especi-
ally when the reader has learned Il
understand the relation to each Other
of the thought and feeling and purpos
and action Of the PEG. e. No country
has a more interesting history thar
the United States. which, from its be
giunings in the scattered settlements G
immigrants from European shore
three hundred years ago and less ha
grown through colonial and nationa
life TIL il has become the creates.
Wealthlest, and most powerful ant
most prosperous. the freest. the mos
controlled and srlf-restrained, tn,
most cosmopolitan and the most firml.
united nation the world has eve
known. The story of the United State
is the story not OF dynasties and court
but Of the people, their life, their in
duSuleS, their aspirations and IN,
democratic Institutions through which
they have sought to attain these aspir-
atoms. and every line Of the story
throbs with present interest and fu
ture meaning"
The list of books was selected by the
bureau in cooperation with severa
well-known historians and educators
including DR.. w. II. Mace of Syracus,
University, Dr. Wilbur f. Gordy o.
Hartford, Conn, DR.. Franklin l.. Riley
of Washington and Lee University. ant
DIR. William Starr Myers of Princeton
University.
The books in the course were selected
with view to presenting a complet,
record OF the United States, including
the European backg: ound. exploration
and settlement. the var of independ
ence, the division over sectional issues
economic development. the civil wal
and reconstruction. and the concentra
ton and expansion of the United States
rs nation.
This course was designed primarily
for those who have left school, but any
one is eligible who can find time t.
read For particulars address the
Home Education Division. Unitec
States Bureau of education, Washing
| ton. ID. c.