A Brief History of the United States
The experience of all teachers testifies to the lamentable deficiency in historical knowledge among their pupils; not that children dislike the incidents and events of history, for, indeed, they prefer them to the improbable tales which now form the bulk of their reading, but because the books are "dry." Those which are interesting are apt to be lengthy, and the mind consequently becomes confused by the multitude of details, while the brief ones often contain merely the dry bones of fact, uninviting and unreal. An attractive book which can be mastered in a single term, is the necessity of our schools. The present work is an attempt to meet this want in American histories. In its preparation there has been an endeavor to develop the following principles: 1. To precede each Epoch by questions and a map, so that the pupil may become familiar with the location of the places named in the history he is about to study. 2. To select only the most important events for the body of the text, and then, by foot-notes, to give explanations, illustrations, minor events, anecdotes, &c.
13:001:049 And when Shaul was dead, Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned
in his stead.
13:001:050 And when Baalhanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead: and
the name of his city was Pai; and his wife's name was
Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
13:001:051 Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke
Aliah, duke Jetheth,
13:001:052 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,
13:001:053 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
13:001:054 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom.
13:002:001 These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
Issachar, and Zebulun,
13:002:002 Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
13:002:003 The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were
born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er,
the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and
he slew him.
The experience of all teachers testifies to the lamentable deficiency in historical knowledge among their pupils; not that children dislike the incidents and events of history, for, indeed, they prefer them to the improbable tales which now form the bulk of their reading, but because the books are "dry." Those which are interesting are apt to be lengthy, and the mind consequently becomes confused by the multitude of details, while the brief ones often contain merely the dry bones of fact, uninviting and unreal. An attractive book which can be mastered in a single term, is the necessity of our schools. The present work is an attempt to meet this want in American histories. In its preparation there has been an endeavor to develop the following principles: 1. To precede each Epoch by questions and a map, so that the pupil may become familiar with the location of the places named in the history he is about to study. 2. To select only the most important events for the body of the text, and then, by foot-notes, to give explanations, illustrations, minor events, anecdotes, &c.