USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > First Annual Report of the Ohio Valley Historical Association comprising the proceedings of the central Ohio Valley History Conference held at Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 29 and 30, 1907 > Part 8
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Franklin's influence as a diplomatist is dismissed in some of our . best school histories, with the line that he was one of a committee of three to bring about the treaty of alliance of 1778. That he succeeded in spite of his colleagues is not mentioned. The celebration of the bi-cen- tennial of his birth served as the occasion to emphasize the facts that the problems of Franklin in France between the years 1776 and 1783 were not fewer nor were his triumphs less notable than were those of Washington during the same period. His experience with men, his tranquil judgment and firmness brought victory to the American cause where failure would have followed the effort of any other man of the time. The nation must have become bankrupt during the last three years of the war without the loans and gifts of France. With what difficulty they were secured may be gathered from a letter of Vergennes in response to a notification of Franklin of November 19. 1780. that
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Congress had drawn upon him to the amount of $280,000. Vergennes wrote: "You can easily imagine my astonishment at your request of the necessary funds to meet these drafts since you perfectly well know the extraordinary efforts which I have made thus far to assist you and support your credit, and especially since you cannot have forgotten the demands you lately made upon me. I cannot but believe, sir, that Congress will faithfully abide by what it now promises you, that in future, no drafts shall be made upon you unless the necessary funds are sent to meet them." After such a reply what a sense of humiliation must Franklin have felt as he continued to beg for assistance. That he was successful is shown by the fact that some two million dollars were con- tributed by France during the course of the war, besides large loans. This success is the more remarkable when it is recalled that with an overwhelming national debt and on a peace footing, the annual expenditures of the French nation exceeded her annual receipts by five million dollars. This first American diplomatic victory has been fol- lowed by many others scarcely less notable deserving the attention of the teacher of our history.
In our teaching of history in the future we shall give greater at- tention to the industrial development of nations and its influence upon civilization. We may find here some excuse for our intense materialism for American history has, up to our time, been a record. in no small degree, of physical achievement and of problems political and diplomatic intimately connected therewith. Here we clasp hands more closely with the Economists, for without at least the elements of Political Economy many of these pages will be forever closed. Education, literature, art, and religion must also contribute some of their choicest chapters for our exploitation. ..
In the future also may we not present the lessons of history without narrowness and without prejudice? Our texts are now beginning to tell us that American social and industrial life have been quickened by other influences than those of New England; that American democracy has been transformed on this side of the mountains. Have not the Catholic and Pagan worlds contributed to our art, literature and education ? America has on every occasion been generous, and our particular political party has not always been in the right. If properly taught, would our pupils falter at the names of Robert F. Lee and Stonewall Jackson as they name over the list of American military heroes? Would they not sympathize with the reply of Corporal Tanner. Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, which he sent to certain posts that objected to his attending the memorial exercises for General "Joe" Wheeler. when he said: "I have small regard for the mental equipment, the memory, and the power of appreciation of those who fail to under- stand that Joe Wheeler, without regard to his course forty-five years ago, has done much to earn the gratitude of his countrymen. If the memorial service is held in Atlanta, and my engagements permit, I am
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going to attend. Those who don't like it will have to do the other thing." In short. by right interpretation, we may develop in our pupils through the problems of history that desire for "a knowledge of the fundamentals of the state and society of which they are a part" and that spirit of open-minded thinking, and enlightened tolerance, prerequis- ites for the best citizenship.
DISCUSSION OF PROF. JAMES' PAPER. . I.
Dr. Samuel B. Harding. Professor of European History in Indiana University, opened the discussion which followed. He agreed heartily, in the main, with both the point of view and the specific statements of Pro- fessor James. He confessed, however, to a reluctance en- tirely to give up that form of test for the mastery of de- tail which the speak- er called "baled hay examinations." In European history, at all events, the range of time and the ex- tent of territory cov- ever were so vast- the amount of "hay" PROF. SAMUEL BANISTER HARDING. to be handled, if he might keep the fig-
ure, was so great-that it was difficult to avoid being over- whelmed by it, if one did not "bale" it. He would emphasize first, last, and all the time, the necessity of understanding the history studied,-of seeing events in their connections of cause . and effect, and setting them in their proper relations to other
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events of their time. But his experience as a teacher led him to believe that it was equally necessary in high school as well as college, to train the pupil's ability to grasp detail; so that on the one hand he would not be overwhelmed by it and "fail to see the forest because of the trees," and on the other that his knowledge should not be left so general as to be without "a local habitation and name." The ability to master details be believed to be a prime requisite for success, whether in the world of business, the professions, or scholarship; and he should be sorry to see the teacher miss the opportunity which the mul- tiplicity of detail in history offered for drill in definiteness of in- formation, by failing to include at least some of the "Who did what? When ?" questions in his examinations.
- There were two other topics, said Professor Harding, not directly raised by the paper, but suggested by it, which he should like to discuss. The first of these was as to the nature of history.
"Here, I think, is the great stumbling block, not only for the laity but for the old-time historians as well. The definitions which make history the 'record' or 'narrative' of past events are fundamentally wrong. They direct attention, not to the content, but to the vehicle,-to the outer husk, not to the inner meat. This is by no means an unimportant matter; it colors the whole point of view. It determines whether history is to be ranked as a branch of literature, or as a science ; whether artistic qualities of presentation, or the veracity of the facts presented, is to be reckoned the determining principle. History, perhaps more than most subjects, because of its concern with the facts of man's life in society, can and ought to be made easily and readily readable, not only for the scholar but for the general public. But it should not be forgotten that, to use the words of David Masson. 'History without accuracy is as a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.' The true definition of history must conceive of the subject (as chemistry, psychology, mathematics, are conceived of) as both a body of ascertained facts within its field, and also as a method for their ascertainment."
In the second place, while cordially agreeing with the author of the paper that the teacher of history must be so trained as to be able to "go back of the printed page of the historian to the
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materials with which he dealt," he wished to draw attention to the fact that the power to extract historical truth from the refractory documents was not a thing which came of itself, but must be acquired either by long experience or by systematic training. Two excellent manuals of historical method,-one shorter, the other longer and more difficult-are now available in English, namely, Fling's little "Outline of Historical Method," and Langlois and Seignobos's "Introduction to the Study of History." From these may be learned the procedure for the localization of documents in time and space ; verification of authorship, criticism for good faith and accuracy, establishing of particular facts, conjectural filling of gaps left by the documents in our knowledge through constructive reasoning, and the like. And although the secondary teacher of history may not ever be called upon to apply these rules by himself performing a piece of historical investigation, yet a knowledge of these principles of historical method was of great important for the assistance it would be to him in judging of the worth or lack of worth of reference books, and also in the interpretation of illustrative sources in connection with text-book study.
After speaking of the obscurity which must ever attach, because of the lack of authentic documents, to many particular events, and indeed in certain instances to long stretches of time and the history of some wide expanses of territory, Professor Harding in conclusion discussed the value of history as a study.
"If history can give us as proved fact only the general out- lines of events, with here and there some sharp peak of ascer- tained detail jutting island-like above the surrounding cloud of doubt, of what value shall we count it as a study? Two lines of answer suggest themselves. History as method, I take it, constitutes the best means (I use the superlative advisedly) of any subject in school or college curricula for the training of the judgment to deal with the controverted questions of modern political life. The lawyer, in his endeavor to elicit truth from conflicting testimony, is hampered by his ex parte attitude ; his endeavor of necessity is not to elicit all the facts, but only so much as is favorable to his cause. The student of history, on the other
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hand, like the juryman, is obligated to the discovery of 'the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
"Aside from the training which it affords, there are also arguments for history drawn from its content. Culture, if I may so phrase it, is a matter of four dimensions. Travel, geography, descriptive science, supply the element of breadth; philosophy and analytical science, including history as a tracing of the laws of phenomena and institutions, gives depth; the elusive 'fourth di- mension' of inspiration is furnished by music, literature, sculpture, painting - art, in fact. of all sorts; while the dimension of length, of chronological continuity, is afforded by history in its descriptive aspect. Here belongs history as a pageant, the reconstruction of the past. As on some fixed point we may take our stand and see the majestic sweep of events in man's career; we behold, to quote Walter Bagehot in his brilliant essay on Gibbon, 'the won- derful series going far back to the old patriarchs with their flocks and herds, the keen-eyed Greek, the stately Roman, the watching Jew, the uncouth Goth, the horrid Hun, the settled picture of the unchanging East, the restless shifting of the rapid West, the rise of the cold and classical civilization, its fall, the rough impetuous Middle Ages, the vague warm picture of ourselves and home Details, doubtless, are blurred ; whole sections, indeed, are blotted out through lack of documents, and the old dream of following back the stream to man's most primitive age must now be abandoned, so far as accurate knowledge goes. Forever the beginning and the end of the series must remain shrouded in mystery. The mere historian can never attain to that complete- ness of knowledge professed by the early Christian writer, Lac- tantius, who wrote: 'We who are instructed in the science of truth by the Holy Scriptures know the beginning of the world and its end.' But much remains; enough still to justify the dictum of Lord Bacon that 'Histories make men wise.' And if this be true of histories-the unfinished product, the books in which are embodied but the net result of the historian's labor,-to how much greater wisdom of understanding must History con- duce-itself both method and result, the science in fact of Man in his social relations as established by the study of documents."
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II
Prof. Clement L. Martzolff, of Ohio University, continued the discussion.
It is to be granted that this conference of history teachers would not wholly agree with Emerson who in writing to his daughter said, "I care not so much what you study as with
whom you study." This idea of the Concord Sage has been expressed in various ways. "As is the teacher so is the school," las be- come a common way of putting it, and ."Mark Hopkins on one end of a log and Garfield on the other makes a Univer- sity" has been used so often that a speaker feels like apologizing when he quotes it.
The personality of a great teacher in what- ever branch of study he instructs is no doubt the PROF. CLEMENT L. MARTZOLFF. touchstone to higher pur- poses and endeavor. But it must not be forgotten that Mark Hopkins and Thomas Arnold submerged themselves in their subjects. It is the principles and truths that are the important things after all, and the great teacher is able to elucidate them in whatever field he instructs. And in whatever field it may be he should consider that field the ne plus ultra of human knowledge. If he does not he can never successfully teach the subject. I used to wonder at and pity a man who was enthusiastic in mathematics. I was like Josiah Allen, who couldn't see why every body was not a Meth-
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odist. I couldn't see why all people were not enthusiasts in his- tory ; and I must confess that there are times when I have my misgivings yet on that score.
As a history teacher I can agree with the speaker when he says that history is the poorest taught of all subjects. In order to justify myself in this position I consulted method books on various branches and articles in educational journals and recalled the spoken words of educational lecturers, and I find that these are of the same opinion regarding their own particular fields. The elocutionist claims that reading is not taught at all. The geographer insists that his branch is neglected because of in- competent teachers, and so ad infinitum. And here we are echo- ing the same cry.
The comparative newness of the subject in our schools has probably prevented our having a sufficient corps of teachers who are in touch with the new spirit of history. The rapidity of growth of the history curriculum has in great measure been due to enthusiastic teachers who have impressed upon the people the value of the subject ; and these people have demanded teachers and the teachers were not ready for the task.
The same thing is manifest in Ohio High Schools today. The people of Ohio, seeing the value of these secondary schools, have been increasing them in the last ten years with wonderful rapidity. Their classification has been an incentive to enlarge the curriculum and there never was such a call for High School teachers as there was last year. The teachers of Ohio are not ready for it; consequently there is an immense amount of poor teaching done in our High Schools. It therefore behooves edu- cators to be alert or there will be a reaction. The people will conclude that the work of the schools is not commensurate with their cost and there will be a tendency to take a step backward. This substantiates the assertion of the speaker, that if history is to hold its place in the curriculum it must come more and more into the hands of specially prepared teachers.
This preparation must consist in the first place, in an accurate knowledge of the subject. For after all, while we may disclaim against the Gradgrind system of teaching history, where we are told that Sissy Jupe could not recall a single date unless it hap-
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pened to be connected with some paltry event, we must admit that there is nothing that so detracts from a teacher and breaks down his influence as inaccurate statements. We even insist that a national public official who makes no pretensions of being a student of history ought to have known that the Commodore Perry who fought the Batttle of Lake Erie was not the Commodore Perry that sailed into the harbor of Japan forty years later. Such . . inaccuracies are more glaring than that wherein Thackeray has the Virginians making maple syrup in the fall. There is a certain popular history teacher of national reputation of whom it is said he never made but two mis-statements and those worried him for months. On the other hand, there can be such pains- taking efforts made to be accurate as to kill the soul of history. "It is the letter that killeth, but the spirit giveth life." It was surely a "killing" time in a certain summer school when a student recited his history verbatim et literatim et speliatim and usually sat down amid the silent but envious admiration of his class and the expressed approval of the teacher. "Any criticisms?" asked the man at the desk, well knowing that there could be none, but out of a spirit of impartiality and habit it was asked any way. Up went a hand at the rear of the room. "What is it?" And the wag of the class replied, "He left out is."
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"The spirit giveth life." The purpose of the history teacher is not so much to impress facts upon the student as it is to teach him how to ascertain them. He does this by helping the student to discover wherein the soul of history lies. The teacher points out the region and the student does the discovering. The teacher decides what to teach. He must determine the essentials.
I do not believe that this can be done successfully by the lecture method unless the lecture be used to clarify, to elucidate. and to suggest. Otherwise there are two difficulties in the way of successful history teaching by the prevalent lecture method. The one is evident when the lecturer reads, reads, reads, and the students take notes, notes, notes, and every two weeks there is a quiz, quiz, quiz, and every four weeks an "exam." The other is seen where the teacher is so "intensely interesting." Mark you. the teacher is interesting : nothing is said of the subject. It has been submerged except a residuum upon which the entertainer
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may stand to fire off his historical pyrotechnics. He attracts at- ·tention to himself.
There was much just criticism in a student's remark that a certain teacher of liturature had a remarkable faculty for quoting 'long passages; he was always entertaining, but the class got little literature. There are teachers of history who perform daily """stunts" on the historical trapeze while their gymnastics have but little influence except to display their own erudition and to ; minimize the ability of the spectators.
In the teaching of history, as in every other subject, there is a place which we may call the vanishing point-where the teacher gets, behind the subject. This is where the student becomes an in- vestigator ; where he clothes the dry bones with the flesh and blood of human purpose and breathes into it the soul of human passion and it becomes to him a real and a living thing. This is when history work becomes a collaboration between himself and the author. For he gets out of it what he brings to it.
I agree with the speaker in his statement that the qualities which make the successful teacher are not essentially different from those which make the successful historian. Every teacher ·of history ought to do original research work; not that he may add material to the mass that has already been worked out, but that he may learn the essential things ; to sift. to choose, to weigh. to classify.
Right here opens out the great field of local history. We are · coming to know that the history of a country is not always made ·on the field of battle, in the President's cabinet, or in the courts of kings. How often it occurs that we can understand a battle or an act of Congress only when we understand the local temper of the people.
The student as well as the teacher should do this original work in the local field, not to preserve the facts, but to catch the spirit of what history really means. He who understands his local history will realize better the history of larger units. Some .one has said, "Whoever has wandered through the valleys and woods and over the hills and mountains of his own state will be the one capable of following a Herodotus in his wandering's over the globe." Our local history is but a type of the universal.
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History is in a great measure provincial. Its universality comes in its results.
III.
Abraham A. Freedlander, of the Manual Training High School, Louisville, Ky., closed the discussion.
The teacher of history is seen to be, on close investigation, just a member of a large group of men and women whose inter- ests or rather whose outlook on life make them students. They are more than mere readers of so-called histories: they are, at bottom, searchers for historical facts, examiners of historical evidence and so far as they can be, active constructors of the historical past or parts of it. To the true student of history is revealed the ideal of a wholly reconstructed past and life becomes a period for the possible realization of this ideal or at least a part of it. Every day is spent in attempts to bridge gaps ; gains and restorations make him radiant, jubilant ; irretrievable losses, despondent, inconsolable. His life has as its keynote preservation and reconstruction. in a word, recovery of the losses the past has sustained. for he has been awakened to the importance, the abso- lute need of knowing the true past and the whole past. There- fore he cries "Preserve the past, preserve especially the present while there is yet time, preserve, preserve, preserve: don't lose any more than we have to lose !" It is more than a bit of advice ; it becomes a passionate cry. This is the great message of the true student of history to his fellowmen, this the great service that he renders society. Happy that society that heeds his voice and executes his recommendations ; but if that be seldom if ever the case, fortunate at least is that society that contains him, for it is chiefly to the zeal of such men and women, true students of history, that we know all that we do concerning the lives, the thoughts, and the accomplishments of by-gone men.
I have given this much consideration to the matter of students of history because it seems to me that there we shall find our basis for a true conception of a real teacher of history. My point is that a true teacher of history must first of all be a true student according to the analysis I have made above. And I want to impress the fact that it is from the ranks of the students of history
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that we are to take the teachers of the subject. Now not every student of history is competent to teach history, for the student works pretty much alone. The teacher of history, however, has a distinct duty, to bring others to this work of loving, respecting and preserving the past and thus to increase the number of real students. The student is a good parshioner; the teacher is an active missionary. The success of the teacher is to be reflected in the number he has truly won from the present or the rising generation to join the ranks of those measurably devoted to its study. This, it seems to me, is the end to be furthered by the teacher of history everywhere, whether it be in the university, or the college, or the secondary school, or the grades. Now he · cannot make students of history if he is not one himself, and therefore I say that all depends on the question whether the teacher, especially in the secondary school or the grades, is like- wise a student of history. In choosing the teacher this should be the first consideration. The matter of determining the question is, it seems to me, comparatively simple. It is easy to see whether the would-be teacher in the secondary school is a student of his- tory. If he is, I should favor his teaching whether he have a col- lege degree of not. But however many degrees or courses he may have I would not let him teach history, if he plainly shows he is not a real student with the point of view, the consciousness, the ideal in life that goes with such an individual. The mistake made in the past, in my opinion, has been to have history taught by those who themselves had not really studied it; and it is a mistake which is often made today when mere presence in an historical seminary is often conceived to be sufficient qualification for the teaching of history.
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