The purpose of the study was to discover various reasons for teaching United States history in the secondary classroom. The information was intended to assist teachers in identifying, designing, and formulating their own rationales for classroom use. Two questions provided the focus for the study: (1) what rationales for teaching history were featured in the literature from 1960 to 1980? and (2) what were the assumptions, expectations, definitions, descriptions, and implementations of these rationales? A total of 638 articles and 5 popular magazines yielded 10 rationales, which were defined, explained, and characterized. These rationales were further analyzed in order to answer the second question. The rationales were categorized as follows: historical method/inquiry mode, historical mindedness and perspective, historical knowledge, the study of man, citizenship training, the understanding of society, self-knowledge, cultural heritage, multiethnic and minority study, and the development of a system of values. The literature either indicated or implied that further research was needed to answer various questions on how effective rationales were in the teaching of United States history and whether or not they made a difference in the lives and behaviors of students. It is concluded that the teaching of history will not be much improved until teachers have a clearer notion as to what they are specifically trying to do and why they are trying to do it. A reference section and an appendix listing 251 additional rationales, goals, and objectives discussed in the literature are included. (TRS)