bring out the multifariousness of Rhode Island interests. The gossip of William Pynchon (No. 208) is a sample of the daily table-talk of his generation. Pettit (No. 61) lets us into the details of local politics in 1764; Madame Knight (No. 80) infuses into her readers her own cheerful and indomitable nature; Doddridge (No. 136) shows us the hardship and grimness of the frontier life, which was the lot of many Americans; and the fate of the loyalists may be read in the plaints of Samuel Curwen in England (No. 169). Contact with the sources has some of the effects of visiting the scenes, in the way of leaving in the mind a clear-cut impression.

Sources will therefore bear reading several or many times, so that the mind may be permeated with them. The teacher cannot be too familiar with the controversies over the settlement of Georgia (Nos. 39-44); with the character of colonial assemblies (Nos. 61-68); with the arguments pro and con in regard to the Revolution (Nos. 131, 138, 141, 142, 146, 147, 155, 156, 157); with the favorable views of the American army held by foreign observers (Nos. 172, 176, 202, 214); with the argument for independence (No. 186). Of course the teacher will also use connecting secondary matter, so as to show how one event follows another, and what is the relation between events (see No. 14 below).

Some very successful teachers deliberately choose what may be called the episodic method, especially with young classes: they present a series of intellectual pictures of successive stirring events, without trying to make a complete narrative. Such a method has much to commend it, and is aided by the use of brief selected sources.

O

9. Use of Sources by Pupils

NE of the main objects of this work is to bring together in convenient form a body of material suitable for use by pupils, even though immature. Hence, pieces have been selected which have an interest in themselves, though taken out of their connection; and there has been. care to exclude numerous passages which are suitable enough for older students, but which are too strong and plain-spoken for children. Pupils cannot be expected to found their knowledge of history on sources, because they have not the judgment to distinguish between the different kinds of material; but it is believed that the use of such a col

lection as this, or of such parts of it as there may be time to read, will fix many of the most important events and tendencies mentioned in the text-book. For example, no second-hand account of the Indians can compare in "holding power" with the narratives of Adair and Carver (Nos. 113, 116).

Perhaps the principal value of the educational side of sources for pupils lies in the aid which such material gives to intelligent topical work and to the preparation of “special reports." Of course, many of the advantages of topical study (which is discussed at large in Channing and Hart, Guide to American History, §§ 67, 68) may be had from the use of good secondary books, new to the user; but such work does not teach the most important lesson of all, — that history is the search for truth, and that truth must depend on the ultimate sources. No pupil, by the use of this volume or of any other collection, can overset a conclusion of Parkman's; but he may learn that Parkman's greatness lies in his graphic and effective grouping of what he learned from sources.

A topic prepared with access to sources is therefore to the pupil's mind a creation, or rather a building up from materials known to be sound; it is an exercise in the kind of work which every historian must do, but which, in an elementary form, may be done by any young beginner in the subject. It often may stimulate the pupil to learn more about the picturesque men whose narratives he reads, about the witches, who acted so like poor, tormented, innocent people (Nos. 16, 17), and the jaunty travellers, Thomas and Castelman and Byrd (Nos. 25, 28, 82). It is therefore natural that the requirements in history for entrance to college, drawn up by a conference at Columbia University in February, 1896, suggest sources as a part of the pupil's material; and that the American Historical Association also favors that method for "vitalization" of the study.

As extracts for reading, many of the pieces in this volume have unique value. The language of the eighteenth century differs little from that of our own time; but there is a delightful freshness and vigor in such writers as Neal (No. 20), Goelet (No. 23), Beverly (No. 33), Wise (No. 47), Eliza Lucas (No. 83), Wesley (No. 99), Adair (No. 113), Knox (No. 129), Pausch (No. 179), and Greene (No. 212).

To sum up briefly: the pupil may get a foot-hold in the world of colonial thought by reading properly-chosen and related extracts from sources; he may get a peculiar and valuable training by working out some particular point. For instance, a very good exercise might be to

work up, from the material in this volume, the condition of slaves, or of colonial schools; or the dealings of the colonists with Indians; or the methods of raising troops for the Revolution; or the early American navy.

10. Use of Sources by Students and Investigators

"WO theories of historical teaching contest for the field of education through history: the first, or English method, aims to ground students in well-chosen secondary books, which they are to read, assimilate, and compare, and the divergences between which they must note, though they have not the means to reconcile them. Even in English universities only the most highly-specialized historical students use sources as an essential part of their study and training.

The opposing method expects some knowledge of the original material. The student's work is based upon some rather brief text-book or combination of books, but from all students collateral use of sources is required. The English method may be compared to an orderly ship canal, going straight to the end, with an ascertained depth of water, but always shallow and confined: the other method, to a natural river, abounding in deep pools, and joined by a multitude of branches which one cannot explore, with many unfordable places, but winding among human habitations, and giving glimpses of human life.

sources

To facilitate study through sources, a variety of written exercises have been devised, for which students gather and compare original evidence on important points. The merits of this system have been set forth above (Nos. 8, 9). Though applicable at all ages, the use of sources becomes more and more valuable, however, as the student advances; and when he reaches the highest stage of the student's work, — the preparation of materials for a thorough-going account of some episode or period, are the reservoirs from which he must draw most of his knowledge. Such a collection as this book contains may serve as a beginning to the ambitious student; but it will have accomplished less than its design if it do not lead him to wish for the full texts from which these extracts are taken, for additional information on some one question which interests him, and for that acquaintance with original material and the methods of using it which gives a student at once an insight into past times and a power to reproduce them before the minds of his readers.

Former historians have had to collect and organize their material in painful and expensive fashion. Jared Sparks and Francis Parkman each accumulated a costly set of transcripts of manuscripts. For future historians, much of the most valuable material is now in print; and though no one will ever again set himself to George Bancroft's task of writing a general history of the United States entirely from sources, the special works which are to be the foundation of new views must rest wholly on such materials. Although large collections of printed sources are now available, many of them have not yet been examined by competent writers, and discoveries of great importance are still to be made by the investigator. For example, the manuscript of Boudinot's valuable reminiscences (No. 180) had not been printed till 1896.

FOR

II. Use of Sources by Readers

OR the numerous class of persons who have not the opportunity to be students, or the inclination to investigate, sources are useful by way of arousing the imagination and filling up the sketch made by the secondary writer. All that has been said about the usefulness of materials for the teacher and pupil applies equally to the self-taught. Sources alone are one-sided, because they lack perspective and comparison of views, and because they leave great gaps. Secondary works alone are also one-sided, because they tell us about people, instead of letting the people tell us about themselves. The ideal method is to read a brief sketch of colonial history, such as Professor Fisher's Colonial Era; then some illustrative extracts from sources; then a fuller work like that of Parkman or like John Fiske's books, with a larger collateral use of sources. Upon the general subject of home study of American history, Channing and Hart have a discussion in the Guide to American History, § 13.

Among the reprints in this book likely to be most interesting to readers are the witches' testimony (No. 17); Goelet on Boston (Nos. 23, 84); Gabriel Thomas on Pennsylvania (No. 25); Burnaby on New York (No. 32); Eliza Lucas on Carolina (Nos. 35, 83); the slavery question in Georgia (No. 42); Douglass on colonial government (No. 50); Clinton on a governor's perquisites (No. 57); Morris's veto (No. 65); Zenger on his prosecution (No. 72); Providence town-meeting (No. 78); extracts from Franklin's autobiography (No. 81); a plea for protective duties

(No. 86); Ames's college diary (No. 95); Wesley's journal (No. 99) ; Woolman's journal (No. 106); Colden on the fur trade (No. 111); Adair on the Indians (No. 113); Knox on Quebec (No. 129); Doddridge on the West (No. 136); Franklin's examination (No. 143); Andrews's account of the Tea-Party (No. 152); Sam Johnson's tory argument (No. 156); Scammell's love-letter (No. 162); Graydon on recruiting (No. 170); Chastellux's visit to Washington's camp (No. 176); Pausch's army life (No. 179); Richard Smith on the Continental Congress (No. 185); Abigail Adams on the siege of Boston (No. 192); Dr. Waldo on Valley Forge (No. 198); John Paul Jones's capture of the Serapis (No. 204); Pynchon's diary (No. 208); Gordon's retirement of Washington (No. 219).

THE

12. Use of Sources by Libraries

HE triple object of most libraries is to entertain, to inform, and to instruct. Sources may fulfil all these objects. Boys who like Robinson Crusoe will certainly like Thomas (No. 25), Franklin (No. 81), Goelet (No. 84), Ames (No. 95), Adair (No. 113), Clark (No. 201), and Jones (No. 204). Girls who enjoy Strickland's Queens of England will like lively Eliza Lucas (Nos. 35, 83), and the steadfast Abigail Adams (No. 192). The student of German history will be glad to follow the Germans into the new world (Nos. 29, 40, 179). The colonial writers ooze with rugged, genuine human nature, interesting to those who are interested in their kind. Who can read of Oglethorpe in Georgia (No. 39), or of Daniel Boone (No. 134), or of Major André (No. 183), without wishing to know more of these men and their writings?

are

The other functions of the library - to inform and to instruct equally provided for by proper use of sources, which are the adjunct of the teacher, the reservoir of the pupil, and the nutritious intellectual food of the general reader. Of the extracts in this volume, those from works like Sewall's, John Adams's, and Franklin's are available in many libraries in the full text; but many of the pieces are hard to come at, and for a person whose time is limited such a selection as this may be more useful. As regular standard reading matter, the libraries provide some sources.

may well