The History-Teaching Controversy Requiem and Resume
Hesseltine, William B.
The History-Teaching Controversy REQUIEM AND RESUME By William B. Hesseltine JujujL* EE * rear ago • eonsele** controveny over the II teschiag of Asoerican History bioke into the Vjf leadlines....
...Keldom do they analyse, seldom do they exercise their critical faculties...
...A mere recitation ef by-gone event* may be attaint, fascinating, or thrilling...
...In truth, it is but a play on words...
...Both the instructors and their victims devote the major portion of their time to drilling and memorizing a mass of easily-forgotten "facta...
...Nerins and Hugh Russell Fraser, which proved Hot eetJege freshmen knew teas American history then sjgtsrs...
...Fear of Workers in Politics J HE frantic protests of the reactionaries against the CIO Political Action Committee are fully justified...
...the ether, that there la a caoae and effect relationship between events In a time-sequence...
...No facts, no history" is a truism which generations of gullible graduate students have accepted as if it were distilled wisdom...
...One ia that human events take place ia time...
...Yet because they are apparent and simple, they are generally ignored...
...Probably, too, considering the genesis of the joust, the learned Committee could not have been expected to make a very profound examination of the state of American history teaching...
...The protests, of course, have no real political significance...
...Professor Erling ¦yg g*lted Professor Ncvin* a nasty name...
...Once worker* attain some degree of education, they refuse to believe all that they are told and to follow an ancient pattern...
...It is, on the contrary, seaking whatever publicity it can get for its activities...
...Then the mis-named American (it's really the Cmoral—accent on European) Historical Association chimed in to make it a joint committee, and the Council *f Learned Societies chipped in several thousand dol-ler* to make it work...
...Teachers of the "social science*" and pupil* in their classes generally assume that history is a body of facts which must be "learned" in some set pattern...
...The point is that these things are all right when they are done by great capitalists, but they are corrupt practices when they are carried on by labor...
...Probably the contestants in their quiz-kid program have enjoyed themselves...
...Fraser, who'd had a rat of letterheads printed up for his "Com-axhteeon American History...
...Bernie P, Vat* devoted one of his monthly periods in Harper*' *fa*y Chair" to wisecracking ebout the historians, ¦rial* editorialiits, "voice of the people" writers, and |s*ssr pundita, choee side* and pitched in Inevitably, 4**, the more excitable neurotic* started looking under |kfunn* for Fascists, Communists, isolationists, inter-wsfUenisU and other conspirators...
...It is the same with labor...
...We printed several rejoinders from Hugh Ressell Fraser and a mediation attempt by W. K Woodward...
...In a letter addressed to Attorney-General Biddle he demanded prosecution under the Corrupt Practices Act and the Hatch Act...
...Christmas is over...
...The Timss-Nevins charge that American history was i|»er*d in the schools had been bolstered with a test ef strange proportions and wondrous propositions...
...The Spanglers, Butlers and Brickers of other days could bamboozle them into voting for their enemies...
...The Eg York rteue took up the cudgels in support of Pro-jggar AUaa Nnelan* claim that American history was an* dmsrsoaring from the school curriculum, and the -gyP sponsored a widely publicised test, designed1 by sijsjsa...
...But in either cane, a mere recitation of past facta is sterile...
...When the women attained the suffrage it was said that the initial mistake was made when thiy were taught to read...
...Th* Time* Nevin*-Fra*er ajp, demanded state laws for the teaching of American ijjtirr is the schools...
...The Associations' Committee combatted the charge with a survey and a test of their own...
...feover, the Committee's test—a better balanced, ¦*•» accurate, and more rational examination "than *TW concoction—revealed a much higher inci-ef information than Messrs...
...But, despite the sanity and moderation of the Committee's report, and the usefulness of its recommendations, the learned Committee fell into some of the same errors as the New York Times...
...They merely tag the r.trograde philosophy nf the Spanglers and Butlers...
...opposed the idea that American history "•toM be required by law, but it honestly faced the ***hat tbe teaching of history is often poor, fre-2**% done by incompetent teacher*, *nd seldom given JJr^naortance it deserves...
...Various sounding brasses and tinkling eymbai* *f the hyaterical profession voiced opinions *a th* compulsory teaching of American History, and th* meeting resolved to appoint an investigating com-nuttee...
...As a partial remedy, the 2*»Htee recommended that a good deal of nause-repetition of material could be eliminated by l^ftnnising the curriculum...
...And if such a committee could stop bickering over which "f»cts" »re to be rammed down the gullets of the students »nd Btart teachers and pupils looking for "the truth behind the facts," it might serve to make the teaching of American history more interesting, anil hence more valuable...
...Kx-cepting for the I.aFollette Farmer-Labor Party campaign in 1921, this is the first large-scale entry of a labor group into national politics with its own put poses and its own strategy...
...Hesseltine to sum up the year-old controversy and see where we stand...
...Things are happening which they never imagined...
...William B. Hesseltin* of the Cniversily of Wisconsin lambasted the Time* report...
...These "philosophical concepts" (so called because they can be demonstrated but not proved) are both obvious and elementary...
...It had nothing to do with the A. F. of I., or CIO It wasn't g Shumtisnian entrance to the White House for fflhWe, Dewey, Wallace, or Byrd...
...Historical investigation concerns itself with facts, but not with facte for themselves...
...The stady of history has social validity only when it explores the causes and effects nf human action...
...No facts, no physics" is equally true—and equally unimportant...
...The malyclept Mississippi Valley (it'sreally the "American") Historical Association, sisembling last April in Cedar Kapids, devoted a lunch*** session to blowing up a flame in the smoldering ashes...
...But there was a basic agreement between the Committee and their Nevins Times Fraser antagonists: both proceeded upon the assumption that historical knowledge consists of a body of factual information...
...The survey revealed thsi American history—often it is true, disunited a» *f»W s«*dt*»," "community problem*," or "problem* •/democracy'—«o«* taught almost continuously in all t*f school* of all the state: In some states, statutory •¦fsirements impose American History on the cur-HesJum...
...Of course, facta lie at the base of historical study...
...After the last mite of publicity had been squeezed out sf B, the Tim** was ready to drop it, and Mr...
...This seemed to pat an an-ofttui stamp of approval on a project which had precipitated a heated controversy in the educational w.rtd The New Leader played a role in this free-for-all...
...About a month ago, the august—name would say cakiled—Pulitser Prise Committee awarded the New York Time* a special *editorial award for its surrey on the teaching of American his tery in the colleges...
...Spangler, Senator Butler, and Governor Bricker, who has added his expression of feer and din-approval, have simply lived too long...
...Nowhere did the Committee snmUea the Fraser-Nevins-Times' contentions, and momore did the Committee stoop to controversy...
...Probably tbe stock-taking inspired by the teapot-tempest has cleared the academic atmosphere...
...The study of history ia posited ape* two philosophical concepts...
...Their conclusions confirmed an ancient suspicion that ¦jj* teacher* knew more than the students, and that ••nhgnished men, in general, knew more''than either...
...It may bo—and frequently in—dull and dry-as-dust...
...You nominated a chap who knew very little and said nothing outside the script of consecrated political phrases...
...The unions have contributed some $750,-000 to finance its campaign...
...No one looking at the report would learn that it was conceived m a windstorm: It was bor n in a thoroughly antiseptic asmmmie delivery-room...
...Nevins and Fraaer...
...i Tht Committee, consisting of fourteen eminently respectable historian*, duly met, junketed, commissioned Professor Edgar Wesley of the University of Minnesota to make a aurvey, and, finally, reported...
...Following the Pulitzer Award we asked Prof...
...The Times grieved that high school graduates knew few historical facts: the Committee found the Times underestimated the students' knowledge, but could not escape the conclusion that history teaching badly needed improvement...
...Modern technology required intelligent workers...
...It is doing precisely what the Liberty League did some years ago and what countless great corporations have done ever since we have had big corporations...
...Poor Mr...
...Beginning, apparently, at an intra-2p*J (rsftM at Columbia University, it quickly got gljf bounds and became a general free-for-all...
...in others, it is there through the mandate of me state educational authorities...
...began to study the scrap-psper market • • « So, about the time the controversy had expired from natural causes, the professional historians (who ha\e the serial function of performing autopsies on dead Movement*) inherited it...
...Their r*|set, as could have been expected, is an eminently asjpsetable document, conservatively defending the Ststo* tee, and making sane recommendations for un derate improvements...
...Initial successes in primary campaigns extending all the way from Florida to California fully justify the cries of the victims...
...And, as a conaequence, the high school graduate* know little history and understand less...
...In fact, it was a dud...
...Last week Harrison E. Spangler, Chairman of the National Committee of the Republican party, developed a sudden devotion to the ideal of clean politics and started a full-scale attack on the P.A.C...
...The P.A.C, of course, has nothing to hide...
...This is a new day...
...But he had the approval of the right committeemen, and so the voters marched obediently to the polls and elected him...
...Nevins snd Fraser **JMed...
...On the following day Senator Hugh Butler, the man who got General MacArthur in no end of trouble, took up the same tune and demanded an investigation by the Senate Privileges and Election Committee...
...But now that the matter is out of the headlines, and while the patrioteers are out baying up the trail of another crusade, perhaps some other learned and eminently respectable committee might be created to reexamine and redefine the function of history in the curriculum...
...in a few, common ¦mm dictates its inclusion in the course of study...
...The ntndcnt of history is concerned with the causal relationships between events...
...Several article* by Prof...
...But here in these United States there are'millions of workers who have got beyond that stage—and they are not all in the CIO...
...It was only yesterday that Harding ami Coolidge slid into office in the old Republican way...
...No lsws ran keep the citizens of the United .States from participating in politics...
...The fight, dsspite its pseudo-patriotic potentialities, wasn't tied up arjth either anti-Semitism or a Fascist Plot...
...The Committee also subjected a random J**t«on of Who'* Who listees, an assortment of "social teachers, and some army trainees to the test...
...On the whole, the Committee showed dignity and poise, and spoke moderate words with overtones of scholarship —and even wisdom...
...H looked like a good light, as lights go, and sundry amrdy pegumts climbed into the ring...
...VRthe positive side, the Committee m*de some sound •**»»tions...
...Bat there waan'ranything under the beds...
Vol. 27 • June 1944 • No. 25
