A School History of the United States is a thoughtful, chronological account of America from the age of European discovery and settlement, to the wars and disputes of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Later chapters are organized by themes (e.g., Growth of the Northwest, Mechanical and Industrial Progress), rather than by a list of Presidential administrations. There are many illustrations and maps, mostly in black and white.
The brown front cover has a red border at the spine and a floral pattern with early American symbols of an eagle, flag-shield, and laurel wreathes. The back cover is illustrated with a floral design in a shield pattern, crowned by an American eagle; while inside it is the publisher’s insignia of a lit torch, an open book, and eagle’s wings.
John Bach McMaster was a prominent historian and professor of early American history. He was born on June 29, 1852. McMaster attended public schools and graduated from the College of the City of New York with both a B.A. (1872) and an M.A. (1875), as well as a degree in Civil Engineering. He taught engineering at Princeton from 1877-1883.
In 1883, McMaster became a Professor of American History at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his PhD. Besides authoring A School History of the United States (1898), he wrote a five-volume History of the People of the United States from the Revolution to the Civil War (1883-1890), as well as biographies of Benjamin Franklin and Daniel Webster. His historical work differed from standard practice in that it departed from an exclusively political focus to delve into social history and the lives of ordinary people, as well as in its use of newspapers as sources.
The American Book Company (ABC) was an educational book publisher based in New York City. In 1890, it bought out the historically important branch of Harpers known for publishing school textbooks and library materials for schools. The ABC was later absorbed into D.C. Heath in 1981. Any remaining K-12 assets of the American Book Company were acquired by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 1995.
Red hymnal with gold lettering on front cover that reads, "Baptist Standard Hymnal with Responsive Readings." The cover shows signs of wear and is taped together with black and red tape. On the inside of the front cover is stamped text that reads, "The National Training School for Women and Girls, Lincoln Heights, Washington, DC." The copyright page indicates that it was published in 1924 by the Sunday School Publishing Board, National Baptist Convention, USA, Nashville, Tennessee. The hymns in the book are organized by themes such as "The Christian--Aspiration," "Worship and Praise," and "Temperance." The hymn titles include "How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours," "O For a Faith that Will Not Shrink," and "How Long, O Lord, How Long?"
Inserted in the book is a yellow piece of paper with typed text stating, "HER HYMN BOOK/ HER RICH MELODIOUS VOICE AS OFTEN HEARD SINGING HER FAVORITE HYMN, 'I'M ON THE SHINING PATHWAY.' AFTER DELIVERING HER ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE WOMEN'S CONVENTION, THEY WAITED TO HEAR HER RICH VOICE." "Her" in this text refers to Nannie Helen Burroughs. The referenced hymn is not in the hymnal and may have been removed from or fallen out of the book.
The hymnal shows signs of wear throughout the entire book. Tape is used in places to hold together pages and the binding.
Wooden gavel belonging to Nannie Helen Burroughs. The head of the gavel has an unusual design of grooves that create four identical sections. There are decorative elements where the head and the handle of the gavel meet. Both the head and handle show signs of wear and scratches.
