Westward The Course of Empire

Since the retirement of Professor Merk in 1957, Harvard has been without a course in the history of the Westward Movement. Professor Merk's course on the subject was one of the more popular in the University despite the difficulty of the exams and the T, Th, S, 9 A.M. meeting.

Despite the enthusiasm shown for Merk's course, the History Department has made no apparent effort to reinstitute a course in Western history. This failing cannot be attributed to a lack of qualified teachers in this country; while it might be impossible to find a man as knowledgeable as Professor Merk, there are certainly men competent to teach the subject.

The failure to have a course in Western history is indeed unfortunate. While Frederick Jackson Turner's thesis may not be in current vogue in the History Department, anyone interested in American history should be familiar with the Westward Movement. The influence of the frontier certainly did have a profound effect on American history; but many history concentrators graduate unaware of this fact. Several years ago a course was given on the literature of the West and South; it was also discontinued. At present, there is no course for those interested in either the Westward Movement or in the cultural history of Western America.

It is idyllic to think that Harvard would ever offer comprehensive course offerings on the West. But Harvard offers courses in the history of the South, colonial history, and oceanic history. While Western history may not be considered cosmopolitan in academic circles, the University should transcend its usual provincialism and provide at least one course in the history of the Western Movement.