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 9
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Now after these observations as to the qualifications of the real teacher of history, I want to consider how his task is to be done; that is, how he is to win others to the cause of history, especially in the secondary school. Speaking generally, I would allow a teacher of history carte blanche and judge him by the results obtained, as seen in the attention shown in his classes, the frequency of questions raised, the interest in discussions, and, above all, the increase in the reading of historical matter both in the public library and in the school library. The suggestions I
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wish to make are only in the nature of indicating what I con- ceive to be a few of a great number of undoubtedly vital ways of reaching the High School pupil.
I do not believe it is a good thing to ask High School students to take such a broad course at one time as Ancient History or even Greek or Roman History separately, for one or even two terms. What they learn is soon forgotten, for it has been as a rule varnished upon, not ingrained in them. I would instead take one short period of any field of history and carefully present it. Thus I would have High School pupils study not Roman History, but the history of Rome from, say, Augustus to Hadrian. With the field thus limited, each pupil would be given a Roman name, with his home and family surroundings corres- ponding in every possible way to those he enjoys at present only transferred in space to Rome and in time to the first two cen- turies of the Christian era. Then those aspects of the times would be presented which if he had lived then, would have especially attracted and engaged his activity. The principle thus is to let the pupil live his life at his age in the historical period. He would see how .meals were served, how food was prepared. how houses were built and how they looked, how education was carried on, what were the amusements and pastimes of young men and young women of his age, etc. Each pupil. thus, would be an actual mover in the world of those times. He would live that which he is expected to study. He would be introduced to the activity about him as he is today. He would be taken to the temples to attend religious services, he would be allowed to go with other boys to see the games of the circus, he would be taken to the Forum to hear an oration, etc., just as the Romans did every day of their lives. If his observation of the period is made extensive, as it should be by the teacher, good results must fol- low in the attitude of closer attention to the life about him today.
This principle of teaching history reveals the utter falsity and uselessness of the method which follows a text book and proceeds to give abstract facts about Constitutional development or religious institutions or masterpieces of art, etc. What does the ordinary boy or girl of High school age know or care about these matters? Instead of giving an exhaustive outline of con-
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stitutional or institutional development why not simply try to give them as much of these as the pupil gets in his life today and in the ways in which he begins to understand what they mean ? Thus for constitutional matters, trace an arrest of some member of the family and thus show realistically the status of individuals ? As regards public improvements, viaducts, etc., I would present them as they looked and give details of technical construction to- gether with facts and figures which bring out magnitude-a deep craving of the High School pupil.
This craving for magnitude suggests the thought that in letting the pupil live his life in the period studied. every mani- festation of strong, natural interest should be seized eagerly by the teacher and be made the means of impressing historical truth. Thus, it seems to me that High School pupils, in general, love above all, to be in a crowd, both for the mere noise and for the dramatic sensations arising from exhibitions of heroism, appear- ances of solemnity. etc. ; to engage in a contest of some sort and line up on one side or the other : and also, especially dear to the boyish heart, to get as close as possible to a recognized leader or hero. These natural manifestations of interest can all be utilized and turned to advantage historically. As many pictures of crowd activity as possible should be presented from the period under consideration. Rome could be presented on the day of a triumph, or scenes about the Forum could be shown, or activity in the tem- ples or exhibitions in the ampitheatre could be indicated, etc. The love of contest could be fed by the conflict between Augustus and Antony, from the campaigns of Germanicus, from the activity of Titus in Jerusalem, etc. The pupils could be put upon oppos- ing sides and thus would seem actually to engage in .the conflict.
In the presentation of the above. I would not use a text book. I would use as many reliable first hand historical sources as possible, together with adequate illustrative material. I would also use the literature which is woven about leading historical events, for the purpose of giving color. though I should have the fictional character clearly indicated.
The interest of the pupil thus naturally and voluntarily aroused can be trusted to secure for him (and in such a way as
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to insure that it will remain with him) information on historical actors and events preceding the period intensively studied.
Now what I have tried to bring out above is this: that the teacher should so awaken and feed the interest that there will be a real desire to know more. Thus he begins to awaken that con- sciousness which when fully awake makes of those thus quick- ened real students of history.
THE USE OF ORIGINAL MATERIAL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
Archer Butler Hulbert, Professor of American History, Marietta College, spoke as follows:
"The lateness of the hour prevents me from attempting to do more than outline in a brief way a plan looking toward a use of original historical material in High Schools and Academies. It does not seem to be difficult to awaken in the pupils of these schools a certain interest in historic characters and incidents, more or less abiding. I believe a very much more sincere interest could be aroused, if once the student could be brought into touch with at least some of the personages and events through what might be called the out-of-door avenue. Could not we of Ohio and Kentucky and Pennsylvania-and every state-awaken new conceptions in our boys and girls if we could turn their eyes, for in- stance, to the appearance of this West in the primeval days-to the big trees such as the Tamarack that Washington found at the mouth of the Great Kanawha measuring almost forty-five feet in diameter, and to the Black Swamps in Northern Ohio; to the long narrow trails across the West; to the tremendous vines that manacled the trees; to the location and extent of the glades and prairies, the position of the salt-licks, the boundaries of the Indian nations, and their capitals?
All these things-the wonderful ground-plan of the West-were seen and mentioned by the early travelers; and, it seems to me. if extracts of these first records of travel could be properly edited, with introduc- tions which would give teachers the necessary information for a sketch of each writer and the historical importance of his journey, that students would awaken to a new interest in our own history-even to local his- tory, than which I know of no study of less interest to the average boy and girl, made up as it often is of an exciting record the incumbents of the coroner's and prosecuting attorney's and sheriff's offices!
Ohio offers a fine opportunity for an experiment in this line: as does Kentucky and Pennsylvania and New York. I mean by that that it is possible to block off the history of these states, in a sort of a way, by epoch-making tours of exploration, conquest, and occupation. Christopher
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Gist in Ohio and Gist and Dr. Walker in Kentucky left early records of interest to any wide-awake boy or girl who is thinking of the primeval forest through which these men crawled, floundered and plodded, espec- ially if some kind of a topographical map is before them. Other things being equal, I think it is as much worth while for your average boy to know something about Washington's six voyages across the Alleghenies as of Columbus's four voyages across the Atlantic ; others may have per- formed Columbus's feat before him; but no one adequately described the Ohio Valley before Washington wrote his journal of his tour of 1770; no one passed through and described the glades and woodlands of the Mountain Lake and Deer Park region prior to Washington's journey thither in 1784.
In any attempt to put through an experiment of this nature special attention should be given to journals and portions of journals dealing with the natural phenomena, the flora, fauna and geography of the region covered. Records like that left by Rev. David McClure of his Ohio tour of 1772 would prove of genuine interest and value; and the number of these is beyond counting. As to the informing character of this kind of historical reading, I doubt if any boy or girl can get and hold the real essence of the origin of the French and Indian war in the West so well as by reading extracts of Celeron's tour and Gist's tour. with proper explanations by the teacher of the meaning of those two rival expeditions and their purposes. I would have every boy and girl in these Ohio Valley state able to locate the burial place of Celeron's six leaden plates, and the stories connected with the finding of certain things will remain through life a constant reminder of the emparadising French dream of empire in the New World.
Would not some course of reading the records of this sort that lie all about us prove of distinct and lasting value? If edited for this specific purpose would these records not be available then to a host of readers-in the homes of these school children, and in many small li- braries-who will never see them in the expensive scholastic form in which they come to the hands of the historical specialist? Suppose such a form as that adopted for the Old South Leaflets should be adopted, could not a volume be issued for each state. at a very small price? If the introductions were sufficiently simplified, if the footnotes were elabor- ate and yet interesting and clearly understood, if the maps were simple and readily comprehended, would these books fail to interest old or young ?
May I give a personal example? The publishers of the volume, Washington and the West, containing Washington's Journal of a tour of 1784, had special type made for the volume; it was issued in almost sumptuous style. How many children-under twenty, or over-know of this journey of Washington's through western Virginia and Mary- land, through Deer Park, by Archie's Spring and Fort Pleasant? Yet I doubt if. in another guise, with introduction and notes fitted to their
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understanding, there is a man, woman or child in Maryland that would not read long portions of that simple record with absorbing interest, if only to find why the "Father of his Country" should have been sleeping in the snow, with no cover but his great coat, beside one of their Maryland glades in less than a year after resigning the command of the Continental army.
There is something in the plain, blunt honesty of many of these early records that is fascinating, and, properly interpreted, would prove fascinating to boys and girls in school and out, and to millions of parents who, otherwise, would never see them or understand them if they hap- pened on them as prepared today so sumptuously for our use.
ADDRESSES ON THE WORK OF THE HEREDITARY PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES.
I.
SOCIETY OF COLONIAL DAMES. ยท
MRS. HERMAN GROESBECK, Honorary President National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the State of Ohio.
Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Hereditary Patriotic Societies :
I have construed your very kind invitation for a short report from the National Society of Colonial Dames in America as a wish to learn comething of the nature of the work that has been accomplished by this Society. The time allotted me is short and my paper will bristle with statistics and necessarily be stripped bare of much interesting detail.
The work of the National Society of Colonial Dames may for brevity be classified as follows :
The marking of places of historic interest ;
The printing and preservation of valuable Colonial and other records ;
The holding of expensive and interesting loan exhibitions;
The giving of prizes for essays on Colonial or early American history.
Landmarks of historic interest threatened with destruction have been purchased and restored and preserved for future generations. Colonial study classes have been formed in many states with excellent . results. Essays written by members of these classes are sent to the Reciprocity Bureau and circulated on request.
A National Relief Association that may be called upon in time of war or in time of any national disaster has been organized.
In Pennsylvania the Society has purchased, restored and furnished
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the home of James Logan - Stenton. James Logan was the friend and secretary of William Penn, and Stenton is now in all its beauty the center of the social life of this Society. The Elizabeth Gillespie Mc- morial has taken the form of an annual scholarship of $1,500.00 at Bryn Mawr College. Prizes are offered to the graduates of the Girls' High School and School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia for essays and also to the girl students of the Thurston School at Pittsburg.
The Maryland Society gives its third course of lectures to the trus- tees of Johns Hopkins University; it has held interesting exhibits of family portraits and armorial bearings of Maryland families and photo- graphs of Colonial homes in the State still standing. This Society was financially crippled by the fire.
The New Jersey Society has marked the First Presbyterian Church with a bronze tablet: "In memory of the first settlers who founded the town upon ye Pasayake in 1666." This Society has also furnished part of the old barracks with rare bits of historic furniture.
The Delaware Society has placed a monument to mark the spot where was planted the first Swedish colony in America, where stood Fort Christina on the banks of the Christiana. They have also unveiled a boulder in memory of the occupation of Delaware by the Dutch, which bears this inscription: "Fort Casimir was built by the Dutch in 1651, and recaptured by them from the Swedes in 1655."
The Virginia Society has undertaken to copy the journal of the House of Burgesses, 1773-1775. They have finished their sixth record of church vestry books, Christ Church, Lancaster Co. being the last. In Co-operation with the Richmond Educational Society they are making a model of one of their public schools. They support a fellowship at the University of Virginia, they care for the graves of the Washington family at Wakefield, and they offer many prizes for essays in the schools.
The Massachusetts Society gives an annual prize of $100.00 to the American Art Association in Paris for a painting on some subject of Colonial interest. Classes have been formed among the Russian and Italian emigrants in the north end of Boston. Many prizes for essays in the schools have been given and loan exhibitions of old silver and furniture have been held. Of great interest is their purchase of the Quincy House, at Quincy. The wing of this house was built by Williamn Coddington in 1636 and the front of it in 1687 by Edmund Quincy. This house is replete with historic associations and is now completely restored and furnished in the quaintest and most charming manner. The paper on the walls of one room was imported from Paris in anticipation of the wedding of the charming Dorothy Q. to John Hancock. The house is low pitched and wide spread with grounds and shrubberies about it and presents a perfect representation of the homes of gentlefolk of Colonial days.
The New York Society has also its beautiful and interesting home in the Van Courtland Manor House, which is also a museum of Colonial
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relics. Special exhibitions of china, plate and furniture have been held, and more than one hundred thousand visitors pass through its doors each year.
Prizes are offered to teachers' colleges for essays, and to the Uni- versity of Rochester, and six classes in the various industrial schools are supported. This Society continues its work of publishing the minutes of the Orphans' Court of New Amsterdam, the second volume of which is now being translated from the Dutch.
South Carolina has restored the old powder magazine, which is now the scene of social entertainment and business meetings. They offer prizes for essays to four girls' colleges with excellent results.
The Connecticut Society report their traveling libraries amongst country schools as numbering fifty, whilst forty-eight portfolios of his- torical pictures go with them. Many prizes for essays are offered to high schools and grammar schools throughout the State. They have de- voted much time and money to the restoration of the old stone house at Guilford, built by Henry Whitfield in 1639. They have copied and still are copying church records and they are writing the histories of Colonial houses in the State, of which 174 are standing.
New Hampshire offers prizes for essays to students in the public schools and is making an effort to induce the Legislature to create the office of Commissioner of Records in the State of New Hampshire. A fine old house in Exeter, built in 1708, has been recently purchased, re- stored and furnished, and is the home of the Society.
In Georgia the work has been chiefly in the line of preserving and restoring the ancient landmarks which were rapidly falling into decay, such as the restoration of the citadel of the old town of Frederia on St. Simons Island, and they have also erected a monument to Oglethorpe.
North Carolina reports the unveiling of tablets to Cornelius Har- nett and other Colonial patriots.
The Rhode Island Society has published the correspondence of Colonial Governors of Rhode Island, 1723-1775. They have successfully restored the Bishop Berkeley House and have established the Roger Wil- liams Memorial Fund at Brown University.
Of the Associate Societies in the non-Colonial States it is needless to say that they cannot purchase and restore Colonial buildings. They are all, however, doing active and useful educational work, offering prizes for essays in different schools and supporting scholarships in colleges.
The Illinois Society has been for years doing an admirable educational work amongst the immigrants in Illinois. They have finally educated a young Bohemian and prepared him for work amongst his own people. He is to instruct them in the history of this country and in the duties of citizenship.
Florida is preparing to place a bronze tablet with a suitable in- scription, upon the old gates of St. Augustine.
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Alabama has erected a superb wayside cross in memory of the Sieur de Bienville.
Kentucky is doing fine educational work.
The Michigan Society has unveiled a tablet in Detroit and pre- sented it to that city, bearing this inscription: "Here encamped the Fox Indians Outagamies during the siege of Detroit in 1712. Here also are buried the soldiers killed in the battle of Lake Erie, 1813."
The Ohio Society has purchased and restored the Land Office of the Ohio Company in Marietta. This little relic is frequently open to the school children and to the general public. Our custodian reports many- visitors and great interest shown. They have also published a volume of the correspondence of Rufus Putnam from the manuscript in possession of the Marietta College, and they help support a fellowship in the University of Cincinnati. This fellowship is for the research and study of the early settlement of the Ohio Valley.
I must close my paper by giving a short account of the National work, aside from the State work, to which all the States have the priv- ilege and the honor to subscribe. This was to begin with the Relief As- sociation for the Spanish War sufferers, which Association raised and spent under the guidance of the Surgeons General of the Army and Navy over $50,000. Then later came the erection of the beautiful monument at Arlington in memory of those who perished during the war.
There was an appeal to Congress for the preservation of Niagara, one for National Forest reservations, and one for the preservation of historic sites in Washington. These appeals were pleasantly received by influential members of Congress and of the Senate and did their share of work in influencing public opinion.
As is fitting our last two efforts crown our years of work. First of these was the rebuilding of the ancient church at Jamestown, which was first built of wood in 1617, then rebuilt of brick in 1640. Nothing however was left standing of either building but the tower. Both foun- dations were unearthed in making necessary excavations, and slates from the old roof, tiles from the chiancel, bits of leaded glass from the windows, and bolts and hinges were found, all sure guides for our skill- ful and enthusiastic architect in his reconstruction. New brick walls enclosing the exterior foundations of 1640 were built, and the old brick used as an inside facing. Several memorial tablets of bronze are now on these walls, the old tile is replaced in the chancel and the little church after appropriate ceremony was handed over to the Virginia Society for the preservation of Antiquities by our National President and the Dames attending her.
The last great work of the National Society is the publication of the letters of William Pitt, Lord Chatham, to the Colonial Governors and Military Commanders of North America. Our Committee on His- toric Research, through the kindness of Mr. Hubert Hall, of the Record
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Office and Royal Historical Society, received permission for the tran- scription of these documents, and at his suggestion employed an expert copyist at the Record Office in London. The book was published by the MacMillans and is considered to be an invaluable addition to the his- tory of that time.
In closing I wish to say that the Dames of Ohio are complimented and pleased to be included in this distinguished company and have every wish to work in harmony and sympathy with all other Hereditary Pa- triotic Societies.
II.
THE SOCIETY OF COLONIAL WARS; ITS AIMS AND ITS ATTITUDE TOWARDS HISTORIC RESEARCH.
ROBERT RALSTON. JONES.
The English Settlement at Jamestown, three centuries ago, followed by similar beginnings at Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, and in the valleys of the Hudson and Connecticut, stands as the Genesis of our Colonial life; it marked the implanting of a vital germ, which, growing with ever increasing fruitfulness, has overtopped the Alleghenies, descended into the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi, spread out upon the broad. prairies of the West and crossed the Continental Divide to the seas of the Orient.
The formative period which elapsed between 1607 and 1775, was of incalculable importance to the land and its people. It was a period which may be likened to that epoch through which our planet passed, when chaotic nebulae became consolidated and formless elements took on sta- bility and system. Our Colonial period was truly the creative one during which many essential and characteristic forms of local self government were evolved; the expression of popular opinion was unrestrained, but freedom of speech and action was so tempered with prudence, that the excesses which marked the great political upheavals in France, were un- known to the colonists of our Atlantic seaboard; we might, even now, with advantage turn back to some of the primitive methods of govern- ment which were in use from 1608 to 1775.
The principles developed during the Colonial period have at all times exercised a powerful influence upon the destinies of our country ; sometimes indeed amid storms which threatened the very life of the Re- public, but for the most part advancing quietly, solemnly, yet irresistibly, towards their final consummation whatever that may involve.
For more than a century and a half following the earliest settle- ments, we looked across the broad sea for commercial aid and military assistance, learning all this time, however, to forget the prejudice born of conflicting religious creed, and the indifference due to race stock and diverse political system. The whole colonial period was a gigantic train-
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ing school. Political acumen and military prowess are not born of the instant, both involve preliminary training; statesmen were developed as a result of the Town Meeting, the Provincial Councils and the Legis- lative Assemblies of the various colonies; so too the soldier was edu- cated and toughened in the campaignis against the Indian and the even more strenuous wars with the French. Who can for one moment imagine that mere untrained mobs of patriotic men could for long have opposed successfully the trained veterans of Great Britain? To account for Lex- ington, Bunker Hill, and Saratoga, we must look back to the Pequot War, to the capture almost unaided of Louisburg in 1745, and to the long border warfare with France extending from Maine to the Carolinas. From the very beginning our people possessed self-reliance and cour- age, but the separate colonies contained little cohesive power until many crudities in life and government had become refined by trial and suffer- ing; until the dross had been melted out in the crucible of life; then, when the fateful moment came and the colonial period ceased to exist, the people rich and poor alike were in some measure fitted for self- government.
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