time cultivate fluency and strengthen the memory for the important considerations of history.  Fluency in itself does not possess sufficient value to justify the expenditure of recitation time.  Facility of expression needs to be cultivated in discussion of the conclusions reached in class which need to be clinched in the student’s mind.  Such questions as the following will serve as illustrations of the kind adaptable for such purpose, at the middle of a year course in American history:—­

     1.  Give three distinct characteristics of French colonization in
        America; three of Spanish; three of English.

     2.  What things did the English colonies possess in common?

     3.  What were the results to the colonies of the French and Indian
        War?

     4.  To what extent was the Revolution brought about by economic
        causes?

     5.  What were the defects in the Articles of Confederation?

     6.  Account for the downfall of the Federalist party.

     7.  In what ways has democracy advanced since 1789?

     8.  What were the results of the struggle over the admission of
        Missouri?

     9.  Discuss the growth of the sentiment for internal improvements?

    10.  Describe the social life of the Western pioneer?

What the student may do with “problems” in history

Still another kind of review of great value in strengthening the student’s ability to generalize and analyze, consists of what might be called “problems in history.”  They are given out in much the same way as original problems in geometry, assuming that the student is acquainted with the facts from which to deduce the answers to the question.  The object of such a review is to give the student practice in original thinking.  He is not supposed to use a library, but only the facts which are in his text or which have been previously brought out in class recitations.

The following are examples of questions adaptable for this purpose:—­

     1.  Why can the American people be regarded as the world’s greatest
        colonizers?

     2.  Why could Washington be regarded as only an Englishman living in
        America?

     3.  Is it true that the South lost the Civil War because of slavery?

     4.  In what particulars did Andrew Jackson accurately reflect the
        spirit or the ideals of the new West?

     5.  What is illustrated by the attempt to found the State of
        Franklin?

     6.  What considerations made the secession of the West in our early
        history a likely possibility?

Questions of this kind, not answered directly in class or in the text, may be given out a day in advance and the answers collected at the next recitation.

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