Rediscovering Columbus in Nineteenth-Century American Textbooks

Abstract

In 19th century America, primary schools and churches were the only places where the vast majority of American citizens would receive their education. Schoolbooks also became sources that allowed future citizens to believe that history was a science capable of truth, as well as able to narrate and glorify the past and the future of a new nation. Meanwhile, it would also lay the moral groundwork for a future expansion (Kaestle, 1983; Schultz, 1973). By the 1820s, only five states had passed laws requiring that national history be taught at the secondary level in tax-supported institutions. By the 1830s and 1840s however, the interest for promoting national history in schools surged amongst intellectuals and politicians. Much has been said on these 19th century textbooks and the indoctrination of nation values. From Noah Webster to Emma Willard, numerous studies focused on the democratic and republican faith in American schoolbooks (England, 1963).

This study is based on an analysis of 497 general history textbooks published between 1800 and 1900. Our materials represent the entire special collection of elementary schoolbooks of general history edited in the 19th century accessible at the Monroe C. Gutman Library Harvard University. Re-edited volumes were not discarded. This analysis was made possible by a visiting scholarship at Harvard University. All cited textbooks and illustrations are available in the special collection of the Monroe C. Gutman Library at Harvard University. I am grateful to the librarians and archivists of the library. I particularly thank Gladys Dratch for her help.