The Indiana book collection at the Indiana State Library does not claim to be a complete representation of all textbooks ever used in our state’s public schools, but it has a decent sampling. The collection includes the history textbook Indiana Yesterday and Today that many fourth graders in the mid-to-late 1980s would have used, including myself. There are examples of the 1991 textbook Indiana along with the 2014 textbook Indiana Social Studies Grade 4.

Early schools in the United States used texts such as McGuffey primers and readers. In 1852, the Indiana General Assembly enacted the Indiana Free School Law and created the State Board of Education. The Board would improve education for all students with standards for teacher training, school buildings, curriculum and textbook selection. In the latter 19th century, textbooks were readily available at lower costs, making competition fierce among publishers to have their titles appear on state-approved lists.

In the early 20th century, the intensive study of state history was not in the recommended curriculum for lower elementary grades. Both Indiana history and state government were usually taught to seventh or eighth graders. Here are three examples of those texts:

By the mid-1960s, there was a shift in Indiana’s history curriculum, moving it to fourth grade. In response, authors of textbooks adjusted the reading level and gradually added more colorful graphics. Below are three Indiana history textbooks that were listed on the social studies textbook adoption list from the Textbook Commission of the Indiana State Board of Education [ISLO 379.156 no.3 1969]. The adoptions cover the five-year period beginning July 1, 1969. It was up to individual school corporations to choose which textbooks on the list best suited their students.

Explore the 19th through 21st centuries in the Indiana Collection through the Evergreen online catalog. You never know what will be listed.

This post was written by Andrea Glenn, Indiana Division librarian and state documents coordinator at the Indiana State Library.