This book is included in the US Government: Educational, Informational & Motivational section.
Preface
"My Country" has been written to meet the
needs of to-day - not of five years ago. A new leaf in the affairs of
the world was turned in 1914, and no book on government issued before
that year can meet changed conditions. The author has endeavored to
present each phase of the subject from the point of view of the present,
but always with a look backward and forward.
Many of the pupils in whose hands this book is placed will never read or
study another discussion of civics and patriotism. Is it more important
that they get from this text a detailed knowledge of the machinery of
town, city, county, state, and national government, or that they get
deeply implanted in their minds and hearts the conviction that America
is really a nation founded on liberty, that it is a nation which looks
to them to-day and every day to help in its building, that patriotism
means making the most of every opportunity that this land of
opportunities offers? The author has felt that unless the boy and the
girl leaves the elementary or junior high school with a definite
conception of what America stands for, what it expects them to do now as
boys and girls and later as men and women, they will be futile, even if
well-meaning, citizens.
This book therefore aims to create a background which will help the
teacher develop a spirit of true patriotism (this is accomplished by the
early chapters in the book), and, when this has been kindled, to take
the pupil into the technical part of the subject (the chapters on laws,
government, taxes, thrift, etc.). In these chapters, as in the earlier
ones, the pupil is never allowed to lose touch with the American spirit
which is the keynote of the whole text. And finally he is led to
symbolize love of country in a consideration of the flag. The Appendix
will assist those teachers who wish to emphasize the mechanics of the
subject in a broad way. The minor details of local government vary in
each state and cannot be included in a text of this kind.
The author is deeply indebted to Myron T. Pritchard, principal of the
Everett School, Boston, and to James H. Fassett, Superintendent of
Schools, Nashua, New Hampshire, for very practical and expert assistance
in adapting this material to the needs and comprehension of the pupils.
The keen criticism of James Morgan, author of "Abraham Lincoln," has
been invaluable in broadening the outlook of the text and in eliminating
errors. The chapters on taxes, health, etc. have each been approved by
an expert. Without the fullest cooperation of my publishers and the
generous help of many other persons, especially Ernest N. Stevens, of
the editorial department of Ginn and Company, the book could not have
been written. To the Massachusetts Child Labor Committee and to the
Women's Municipal League the author is indebted for the use of several
excellent photographs, and to Hermann Hagedorn, Frank L. Stanton, and
Percy MacKaye for the privilege of quoting from material copyrighted by
them.
THE AUTHOR
CONTENTS
Chapter I. America - What is it?
Chapter II. The People of America
Chapter III. America and Liberty
Chapter IV. America - Its Language
Chapter V. Making an American
Chapter VI. The Children's Age
Chapter VII. What we have Schools
Chapter VIII. Making the United States Safe
for Children
Chapter IX. How Things come About
Chapter X. Representative Government
Chapter XI. Representative Government
(continued)
Chapter XII. The President and his
Assistants
Chapter XIII. Rules, Regulations, and Laws
Chapter XIV. The People govern Themselves
by Means of Laws
Chapter XV. Paying the People's Bills
Chapter XVI. An Enemy of the United States
Chapter XVII. Efficiency - Thrift
Chapter XVIII. Efficiency - Health
Chapter XIX. How America has helped
Oppressed Nations
Chapter XX. War - What is it?
Chapter XXI. The Army and the Navy
Chapter XXII. The Army and the Navy
(continued)
Chapter XXIII. Our Flag
Appendix
Index
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