In teacher's idealized history classroom, students are abuzz with questions. They are eager to jump into a serious analysis of primary sources. They relish additional opportunities to engage historiographical debates. They are, as teachers like to say, "thinking historically." While there are few easy ways to create these idealized classrooms, the…

The simplest and most widely held definition of Social Darwinism is the application of concepts of biological evolution to social and moral development. More specifically, it is social evolution through "survival of the fittest" in a "struggle for existence" in which the strong prevail and the weak are defeated and disappear. Social Darwinism…

Shortly before Christmas in 2004, departing Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed a luncheon meeting hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. Powell described to his Boston audience the readjustments that his cabinet post had imposed on him. Powell went on to discuss how he was tested in the Middle East and Asia, and the universal dilemmas…

When James Conant, former president of Harvard University, took on the topic of teacher preparation in his 1963 report "The Education of American Teachers," he demanded sweeping change. Conant's reform agenda, which focused on reshaping the educational establishment in America, took on the National Education Association and National Council for…

One educational area that has greatly benefited from the growth of technology is historical studies. Since the initial development of the World Wide Web in the early 1990s, tens of millions of historical documents have been placed online. During that time the quality and range of historical documents available on the Web has steadily increased.…

The author frequently teaches introductory courses in what was once generally called "Western Civilization" and has often been called upon to referee all or parts of the manuscripts of new editions of "Western Civ" textbooks. Through his own reading, he has become aware that much current scholarship on ancient Israel and Judah is inclined to…

Literature in American peace history is reviewed in an attempt to demonstrate its abundance and to (assist historians in integrating the story of citizen peace activism into the teaching of the larger national experience. (RM)

Describes the changes which have occurred in the study of history in the past few decades. Notes the trend toward borrowing concepts and techniques from the social sciences and humanities. Traces the origins, growth, and present status of this trend. (JDH)

The text of a presentation at the annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians in April, 1986, this article presents the author's observations on the nature of history instruction in the United States from the early 1900s to the present. Criticizes many recent trends in scholarship and instruction. (JDH)

Summarizes recent intellectual and historical activity in the field of early Chinese studies. Concludes that the increasing opportunity for scholarly exchange and the recent increase of publications will further strengthen our understanding of China. (JDH)

Reviews the accomplishments of the present generation of United States scholars who specialized in the history of Nationalist China. Maintains that these scholars, working in the period between 1965 and the present, have increased the objectivity of work on the Nationalists, formulated new questions for study, and added depth and detail to the…

Presents the first half of a 1971 critique of Palmer and Colton's textbook, "History of the Modern World," which suggests that western civilization courses sponsor a view of history that supports the dominant institutions and interest groups within a society. Examines the review's inadequacies while reaffirming the authors' confidence in it. (GEA)

New data on the economic history of Tokugawa, Japan necessitate revisions in traditional and Marxist interpretations, many of which are no longer consistent with the available evidence. One major outcome of recent studies is the awareness of the continuities between Tokugawa and Meiji economic growth. (RM)

Lists nine documents available from the Educational Resources Information Center selected specifically for secondary and college level history teachers. Topics include course materials, teaching strategies, teacher guides, lesson ideas, and curriculum development in the following areas: world history, consumer economics, the U.S. monetary system,…

Urban history has made impressive gains since 1960. Three book-length studies of Mexican Americans in the southwestern cities of Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and El Paso have contributed significantly to historians understanding of the process of urbanization. (RM)