Ironically, study of history as an academic discipline unto itself is a relatively modern notion. Prior to the 1840's or so, Western-style formal education generally focused on a classical curriculum. Also known as "Latin" or "Traditional" curriculum, it generally focused on Latin/Greek, some sciences, some maths, logic, and rhetoric. Students (by which we generally mean those with access to power, most often white boys and young men) would encounter history in their studies, but wouldn't typically study it as a discipline with their tutor or teacher. That is to say, they would learn about Socrates as they studied passages he wrote, they wouldn't generally study Socrates and his era for the sake of studying his era. To be sure, a gentleman (and rarely a lady) might study history as a hobby or a personal area of interest, but that was a choice and not a social expectation.
In effect, a classical education wasn't about learning a subject, it was about becoming educated. Studying history was seen as less of a brain work-out than subjects like languages or sciences and so it wasn't given the same attention in formal education. This shifted as curriculum moved to the liberal arts (or "modern") one we're familiar with today, especially in America. It would take a bit, though, for he notion of "history" as limited to a study of past events and people to take shape. In 1894, the Committee of Ten on Secondary School Studies, a workgroup convened by the National Education Association, took stock of current educational practices and made recommendations for future high school curriculum. One of their sub-committees was focused on "Natural History (biology, including botany, zoology and physiology)." A second committee focused on "History, Civil Government, and Political Economy." By the time similar groups convened in the 1910's, the term "history" was limited to how we use it today.
Once students did start studying "history" as a subject unto itself, typically speaking, that content was divided according to country or theme. From the 1892 report:
- Resolved, That American history be included in the program.
- Resolved, That English history be included in the program.
- Resolved, That Greek and Roman history, with their Oriental connections, be included in the program.
- Resolved. That French history be included in the program.
- Resolved, That one year of the course be devoted to the intensive study of history.
- Resolved, That the year of intensive study be devoted to the careful study of some special period, as for example the struggle of France and England for North America, the Renaissance, etc.
It would take the evolution of the Carnegie Unit in the 1920's to break out specific categories of history in American schools. By the 1950's, students would typically encounter American and Global/World history. All of that said, Americans have long been fascinated by studying history. The first textbook was focused on studying history and The American Antiquarian Society was founded in 1812 in Massachusetts.
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