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Citation: 

Haeussler Bohan, Chara. “Historical and International Dimensions of History Education: The Work of the Committee of Seven.” In International Review of History Education, Volume 3: Raising Standards in History Education, edited by Alaric Dickinson, Peter Gordon, and Peter J. Lee, 56-72. London: Woburn Press, 2001.

Abstract/Summary: 

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Committee of Seven was a group of American historians who believed that education was critical in a democratic society and worked to improve the teaching of history in secondary schools in America. They not only studied history curricula in their own country but looked to other countries as well, such as Canada and Germany, as they believed that understanding history curricula in other countries could inform and advance historical curricula in American schools. The author details these studies in the chapter. Despite the report that the committee published nationally, it had little effect on history education in the United States, since curriculum considerations are under state and local control and attempts to introduce national standards have failed. Many of the difficulties facing the Committee of Seven are the same as those that were facing the National Standards Committee in the United States in the 1990s. It is through an understanding of the past and present that future deliberations concerning history curricula in the United States will be framed. The author continues the chapter with a discussion of the origin and aims of the Committee of Seven and their views on the purpose and concepts of history at the turn of the twentieth century. It was the first committee created in the United States dedicated to a national promotion and study of history. The committee did not attempt to make students into historians; rather they wanted to foster intellectual development, historical understanding, and citizenship and content knowledge. The chapter continues with a discussion on the recommendations of the committee and the significance and criticism of their work. They recommended a four-year course with four blocks on ancient history, medieval and modern European history, English history and American history. After the report, many schools in the United States adopted the four-year plan. Despite the call for uniformity in history curricula, the committee realized the importance of having room in the curriculum for adaptations due to local environments and needs, which remained in history education in secondary schools when this chapter was written. 

Source/Credit: 
Erika Smith