The History of the Historical Association
Herbert Butterfield describes the origins of the Historical Association and its influence on the teaching of history in Britain.
In 1923 it was pointed out in a Board of Education Report that the previous quarter of a century had seen greater progress in the teaching of history than had taken place during all the rest of the hundred years since Dr. Arnold had inaugurated the teaching of modem history in schools.
Amongst the factors which had contributed to this remarkable advance, the Report mentioned the work that had been done by the Historical Association in developing historical study, stimulating the teaching of the subject, and awakening the interest of the general public.
The earliest years of the twentieth century had been marked by repeated complaints on the part of teachers of history in both schools and universities—complaints about the standard of the work, the conditions under which the teaching had to be conducted, and the indifference of the world in general.
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