Abstract

Text-Books of United States History

The article presents information on two books on history of United States. "A History of the United States for Schools," by John Fiske, and "A History of the United States," by Allen C. Thomas. One might, from the evolutionary point of view, criticise Fiske's History in sundry other particulars, but the space is overrun. Thomas's work seems to one, on the whole the best of those here considered in its treatment of the main question of American politics from 1789 to 1894. He has an excellent observation on the effect of the civil war in lowering "in many ways the moral tone of the whole country"; and might have shown how the survival of the Republican organization as a war party has put it in the very shoes of slavery as an obstruction to independent thought and effort touching all reforms.