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First American history book published
After the American Revolution, the subject of history was not taught as a separate course in primary or secondary education. It was included as part of the reading curriculum. In 1787, Philadelphia publisher John McCulloch printed the first textbook in American history. -
Report of the Commissioners for the University of Virginia
In Thomas Jefferson's Report of the Commissioners for the University of Virginia in 1818, he described the purpose of primary and secondary education which was to provide every citizen with the skills necessary to transact business and understand their civic rights and obligations and as such, history and geography were important subjects (Cremin 1980, 110) -
The Committee of 10 Report
The Trustees of the National Education Association formed the Committee of 10. They were charged with recommending standardization of curriculum across the country for primary and secondary education. Their recommendations included oral lessons on U. S. History and local geography in grammar schools and history or civics to high school students every academic year using text books. -
The "New History"
While teaching at Columbia University, Charles A. Beard and James Harvey Robinson worked to extend history curriculum to include the study of civilization. Later Charles and Mary Beard wrote The Rise of American Civilization which was considered the basic American History text for a generation. -
The Committee on Social Studies Report
A subcommittee of the 1911 NEA Commission, the Committee on Social Studies report is believed to be the most important document in the history of citizenship education in the United States. It legitimated the term "social studies" and recognized the importance of history and the social sciences as contributing to civic education. The subcommittees report outlined content for social studies that has remained remarkably unchanged to the present (Eric 1994) -
Hunt & Metcalf define the "New" Social Studies
In the 1950's and early 1960's, amidst the fear of communism, social studies education came under attack from both citizens and government. Events in American and abroad eventually led to a reexamination of the overall purpose and goals of social studies education. More than 50 projects arose that either integrated social studies for the purpose of citizenship or to teach history resulting in the reorganization and development of new materials known as "the new social studies." -
The Bradley Commission on History in Schools
Responding to concerns about the quality and quantity of the history taught in American classroom, the Bradley Commission on History in Schools was created. The Commission's report stated that history can best be understood when the roles of all constituent parts of society are included; therefore the history of women, racial and ethnic minorities, and men and women of all classes and conditions should be integrated into historical instruction. -
Florida Board of Education Adopts Sunshine State Standards for Social Studies
In 1993 Florida began to develop more rigorous standards in eight subject areas including Social Studies. The standards were developed to ensure that all students in Florida were prepared for success after high school. Following Common Core objectives, the State Board of Education believed that an effective social studies program would help to ensure our nation an informed, responsible, and well-educated citizenry.
