The origins of inquiry activities are discussed in this historical review and assessment of science textbooks. Approximately 80 texts (dated from 1822 to 1910) were analyzed specifically for inquiry teaching strategies. No significant patterns were detected, either by subject or time, which could support an identifiable birth of inquiry. After 1880, there were consistently more "experiments" included in the reviewed texts but there was no evidence of student initiated studies or problems. Science texts and laboratory manuals in the eary 1900's were highly structured and were devoted to large quantities of verbal explanations. However, several texts which were prepared specifically for teachers led to the speculation that inquiry was still not a prominent aspect of science teaching. Inquiry appeared to have been implemented in some classrooms around the turn of the century, but was certainly not a common methodology. Tables are included which present information on (1) percentages of inquiry activities found in textbooks based on the stages of Lee's taxonomy of teaching style examples, (2) percentages of inquiry activities by subject matter areas, and (3) citings from specific texts of potential evidence of inquiry based activities. (ML)