THE ECONOMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.*
THOUGH this book " has been written for high-school as well as College students," it nevertheless will be found to contain
much that is interesting to the general reader :— , " The keynote of all American history, from whatever stand- point it may be written, is found in the efforts of a virile and energetic people to appropriate and develop the wonderful natural :resources of a new continent, and there to realise their ideals of liberty and government. The economic history of the United States is largely the story of the achievements of a people working under free competition, untrammelled by custom, tradition, or
political limitations The history of the economic struggle Is not- one whit less interesting or dramatic than the political :history.of the same period, while it is absolutely essential to a .thorough understanding of the latter."
This statement from the author's preface seems to us to be .well justified by the rest of the volume. Each chapter is followed by a list of suggestive topics and questions with a reference to some leading authority,—a great assistance, we should think, to oral instruction. The whole is conveniently divided into chapters and paragraphs, and though arranged in chronological order, it is yet possible by the aid of an index and table of contents to follow each subject separately and consecutively. We may particularly mention the author's treatment of the question of slavery, which seems to us admirably concise and illuminating. There is a voluminous bibliography appended, which will much increase the useful- tiess of the book for the industrious student.
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