If the student in American history is asked to go to the board at intervals and write an outline for the work covered on such topics as the following, he will come much nearer understanding the progress of our people:—

  1. History of the tariff.
  2. Political parties and principles for which they stood.
  3. Things that crystallized Northern sentiment against slavery.
  4. Reasons for the unification of the South.
  5. Diplomatic relations of the United States.
  6. Additions of territory.
  7. Financial legislation.
  8. Growth of humanitarian spirit.

There will easily be sufficient topics so that each member of the class will have a different one. They can all work at the board, simultaneously. The amount of time used for exercises of this sort need not be great, and the value received is incalculable.

If the teacher wishes to review briefly on the military, diplomatic, social, political, or economic history of the people the class have been studying, it is no difficult matter to arrange a set of questions, the occasional review in which will clinch in the student's mind what otherwise would surely be forgotten. Such questions as the following on the financial history of the United States are each answerable with a few words and will serve as an illustration of the method which may be employed in reviewing any other phase of history:—

  1. By what means was trade accomplished before the use of money?
  2. What are the functions of money?
  3. What determines the amount of money needed in a country?
  4. What has been used for money at various periods of our history?
  5. What is meant by doing business on credit?
  6. What is cheap money?
  7. What is Gresham's Law?
  8. What is the effect of large issues of paper money on prices?
  9. What is the effect of large issues of paper money on wages?
  10. Why does the wage-earner suffer?
  11. At what periods in American history have large issues of paper money been emitted?
  12. What were the objects of the first United States Bank?
  13. Did the bank accomplish them?
  14. Why was it not rechartered?
  15. When was the second United States Bank chartered?
  16. Why?
  17. What case decided the constitutionality of the bank?
  18. Did the second United States Bank accomplish the purpose for which it was formed?
  19. Why was the second United States Bank rechartered?
  20. What is meant by "Wildcat Banking"?
  21. What are the dates of our greatest panics?
  22. What were the chief causes?
  23. What was the effect on prices?
  24. What on wages?
  25. Under what President was the independent treasury first established?
  26. Is it in existence to-day?
  27. When were greenbacks issued?
  28. To what amount?
  29. Who was responsible for the issue?
  30. Were they legal tender for private debts contracted before their issue?
  31. When was the Resumption Act passed?
  32. Are the greenbacks in circulation to-day?
  33. What is free silver?
  34. What was the "Crime of '73"?
  35. What was the "Bland-Allison Act"?
  36. What was the Currency Act of 1900?
  37. What is Bimetallism?
  38. What is meant by "Mint Ratio"?
  39. What is meant by "Market Ratio"?
  40. What is meant by "Free Coinage"?
  41. What is meant by "Gratuitous Coinage"?
  42. What is meant by "Standard Money"?
  43. With the market ratio at 30 to 1 and the mint ratio at 16 to 1, which money would tend to disappear from circulation if both metals are freely coined and made full legal tender?
  44. Why is silver not the standard to-day?
  45. What is the "Aldrich Plan"?
  46. What is a United States bond?
  47. Is it a secure investment?
  48. What is its average rate of interest?
  49. By whom is a national bank chartered?
  50. May it issue paper money?
  51. When was the first National Banking Act passed?
  52. Why?
  53. Why should banking business be profitable under the act?
  54. What advantage did the Government expect to receive in passing the act?
  55. Are deposits guaranteed?
  56. May States emit bills of credit?
  57. Is it constitutional for banks chartered by the State to emit bills of credit?
  58. Do they do so to-day?
  59. Why?

Obviously as the year advances, the list of questions for review grows longer. An increasing amount of time should therefore be devoted to work of this sort.

They will insure a better acquaintance with great men and women

The most superficial observation will suffice to convince anyone that high school graduates know very little about the great men and women of history. The character sketches suggested earlier in the chapter, supplemented with occasional reviews, will do much to improve this condition. These drills may be conducted by asking for brief statements on the greatest service or the most distinguishing characteristic of the great men and women met with in the course. The same thing is accomplished by reversing the process and asking such questions as,—"Who was the American Fabius"? or "The Great Compromiser"? or the "Sage of Menlo Park"? etc. Questions on the authorship of great documents, the founders of institutions, the organizers of movements, reformers, philosophers, artists, statesmen, generals, accomplish the same purpose.