[17] Laws of California, 1851, ch. 126, art. VII, sec. 2, p. 499.
[18] Connecticut, as early as 1796, had emphasized the necessity of inculcating a knowledge of the state law, prescribing that “all parents and masters of children, shall by themselves or others teach and instruct ..., all such children as are under their care and government, according to their ability, and to read the English tongue well, and to know the laws against capital offenses....” Statutes of Connecticut, 1796, p. 60. The law further stated that in case it was impossible to comply with the statement quoted above the children should at least be instructed to answer certain parts of the catechism. To enforce the law, a fine of $3.34 to be used for the poor of the town was imposed upon all parents who failed in compliance. Also cf. law of Massachusetts of 1642, page 3. Massachusetts also in 1789 had emphasized the necessity of training the youth of the commonwealth “to preserve and perfect a Republican Constitution and to secure the blessings of liberty as well as to promote their future happiness.” Laws of Massachusetts, 1780-1807, sec. 4, Vol. I, pp. 470-471. Again in 1826, ch. 143, p. 180.
[19] Martineau, Harriet, Society in America (London, 1837), Vol. III, p. 165.
[20] The year in which the Virginia law was passed, 1849, was a time of sectional discord. Sectional interest may have entered into the passage of the law.
[21] In the discussion of the qualifications of teachers, in each period there is a neglect of all laws in which history or some other social study is not specifically named. Regulations often are quite definite regarding the qualifications of teachers in rural and elementary schools, with no statement or with no definitely named qualifications for high school teachers. In some states the superintendent of public instruction or some other official prescribes the subjects in which the examination is held. The tendency of recent legislation has been to accept graduation from reputable colleges or universities giving training in methods of teaching, in lieu of examination.
[22] Acts of Connecticut, 1841, p. 47; Revised Statutes, 1849, sec. 22, p. 300; Statutes, 1854, p. 414; General Statutes, 1866, p. 132; ibid., 1875, ch. 4, sec. 1; ibid., 1888, sec. 2135, p. 466; ibid., 1902, par. 2245, p. 584; ibid., 1918, ch. 56, par. 1007, Vol. I, p. 349. Additions and slight changes have been made in the regulations for the social studies. With modifications the law has been on the statute books from 1841 to the present.
[23] Revised Statutes of Maine, 1857, sec. 49; ibid., 1871, ch. 11, sec. 54; Acts and Resolves, 1873, ch. 120, p. 76; ibid., 1891, ch. 32, p. 20; ibid., 1895, ch. 155, p. 173. Revised Statutes of Rhode Island, 1857, ch. 67, sec. 3, p. 173.
[24] In 1845 the law was slightly modified to distinguish between grades of certificates, but in all cases United States history was prerequisite to certification, and in 1905, Illinois history was added to the qualifications necessary for a license. In 1913, in the requirements for a state certificate she included sociology among the subjects for examination, and for the first, second and third grade certificates, United States history, civics and the history of Illinois. Revised Statutes of Illinois, 1845, ch. XCVIII, sec. 12, p. 498. The law is substantially the same, Statutes, 1856, ch. 198, sec. XLVI, Vol. II, p. 1098; ibid., 1858, sec. 50, p. 449. Laws, 1865, sec. 19, p. 119; Revised Statutes, 1874, ch. 122, 51, p. 963; Annotated Statutes, 1885, ch. 122, sec. 51, p. 2229; Revised Statutes, 1903, ch. 122, 187, par. 3, p. 1683; ibid., 1906, 187, par. 3, p. 1820. During this period these subjects were to be taught in the schools. Revised Statutes of Illinois, 1913, ch. 122, 541, par. 2, p. 2270; Laws, 1913, p. 588 (Senate Bill No. 355, approved June 28, 1913); the same for the social studies in the laws of 1903 and 1905, also in 1917 and in 1919. See Revised Statutes, 1917, ch. 122, p. 2216; and Laws, 1919, ch. 122, p. 900.
[25] Acts of Iowa, 1846, sec. 72, p. 105; Code of Iowa, 1851, sec. 1148, p. 181; Acts, 1858, p. 72; Code, 1873, sec. 1766, p. 325; Acts, 1878, ch. 143, p. 130. In 1882, regulatory provision requiring for a state certificate a knowledge of civil government, the constitution and laws of Iowa, besides history of the United States, passed the legislature, and economics and civics were added to the subjects required for certification in 1896; Acts, 1882, ch. 167, sec. 4, p. 153. Acts, 1896, ch. 39 (H. F. 135), p. 44. Supplement to Code, 1902, sec. 2736, p. 315, for first grade certificate, civics, elementary economics besides the requirements of second grade, which included history of the United States; also Acts, 1906, ch. 122, sec. 4, p. 88.
[26] Laws of Nebraska, 1855, par. 61, p. 220; ibid., 1858, p. 292; ibid., 1872, p. 55; ibid., 1881, sec. 5, pp. 359, 366; ibid., 1885, sec. 5, p. 327. The same subjects as in 1881 in Laws, 1901, ch. 66, p. 448; ibid., 1903, ch. 135, p. 559. Also Consolidated Statutes, 1891, ch. 44, 3624, p. 792; ibid., 1903, 5542, sec. 5. In 1891, there is a distinction made in the grades of certificates, requiring civil government and United States history in all but the lowest grade, Revised Statutes, 1913, ch. 71, art. XIII, 6857, sec. 158, p. 1913, 6859, sec. 160, p. 1914. In 1881 United States history and civics were added to the prescribed subjects for a second grade certificate, and for a professional state certificate general history, political economy, civil government and American history were required. In the forty years intervening between 1881 and 1921, there is no change in the prerequisites for county certificates, state certificates, and the additional certificates of more recent origin—city certificates—so far as the social studies are concerned, with the exception of the dropping of political economy from the required list by 1919. Laws of Nebraska, 1919, 1921, ch. 70, sec. 2, p. 262.