MITCHELL'S BOOK TAUGHT GEOGRAPHY

Samuel Augustus Mitchell decided to write a special type of book in 1839 because the children of the United States were not being kept informed about the amazing political changes that were taking place in the United States.

"To be educated the children of this country must know about the vast stretches of land that have been added to the United States recently and the changes that these new acquisitions will make in their lives," wrote Mitchell.

The changes Mitchell was referring to were the addition of the territories of Washington, Colorado, Dakota, Nebraska and Nevada. Minnesota, Oregon and Kansas had become states. Also, a large track of land known as the Gadsden Purchase had been obtained from Mexico.

At the time these changes were taking place, school children in 33 states that comprised the United States were learning about the U.S. from material that was out of date. This fact made Mitchell realize that he had better stop teaching school and devote his life to writing up-to-date textbooks for schools.

Mitchell, who was living in Philadelphia, wasted no time in setting about the task before him. Geography was the most important of the texts, he felt, because it dealt with the world in which the children lived. He could not forget the other countries, so the geography he wrote, titled "Mitchell's School Geography," was considered "A System of Modern Geography" comprising a description of the present state of the world and its five great divisions America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Ocreanica with their several empires, kingdoms, states, territories, et cetera.

Today, a modern publishing company would engage many individuals to accomplish a writing assignment of this nature, and it would be printed in several volumes. But not Mitchell; he engaged a few experienced artists whose business it was to keep up-to-date maps and illustrations ready for all forthcoming publications of the geography.

By 1864 the book was in its 38th edition. Information was assembled through correspondence around the world with influential, well-traveled and educated individuals such as Dr. Livingstone, the missionary; Krapf; Rebamann; Burton; and Speke. Dr. Kane's material was used, although he had died. Kane specialized in Arctic discoveries as well as Capts. McClure and McClintock.

The European War of 1859 had changed things, and the 1860 revolution in Italy had been noted and included in the 38th-and-last edition. Mitchell died in 1868, concerned to the last about school children getting the best and most-up-to-date material possible for textbooks.

With regard to Missouri, then one of the 33 states, Mitchell had this to say in the 1864 edition:

"Missouri is the most populous state west of the Mississippi. It is particularly noted for the variety and abundance of minerals and the fertility of its soil.

"Corn, wheat, tobacco, and hemp are the principal agricultural productions. Missouri is an admirable grazing country and great numbers of horses, cattle, mules and hogs are raised.

"This state is rich in minerals. The lead region covers an area not less than 3,000 square miles. The Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob are immense masses of nearly pure iron, sufficient in amount to supply the whole world for centuries. Coal and copper abound and some salt is made.

"Jefferson City is the state capital and is pleasantly situated on the south side of the Missouri River 150 miles from its mouth; here the State House and the State Penitentiary are located.

"St. Louis is the second city of the West. It occupies a fine position on the west bank of the Mississippi River 1,200 miles from the sea. It is admirably situated for commerce, and commands the trade of a vast fertile region. The number of steamboats arriving and departing from St. Louis is greater than that of any other western city. The manufacturers are already important. The most prominent are refined sugar, flour, tobacco, oil, and machinery.

"St. Charles, Boonville, and Lexington, on the Missouri, and Hannibal, Ste. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau, on the Mississippi, are thriving towns. (1864)

"Independence, Kansas (City), St. Joseph, in the western part of the state, are noted starting points for emigrants to Santa Fe', Oregon, and California. Columbia, north of the Missouri, is the seat of the University of Missouri."

Then followed questions about Missouri. And, when learned, a child knew a great deal about Missouri from information on one page.

This remarkable textbook of the world is 4-by-6-by-1 inches. It is very rare and much sought, expensive and valuable. There is a steel engraving to illustrate the text on almost every page. The pages are rag linen. The book is a collector's dream.

Someone in Mitchell's family discovered Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina, the highest ground east of the Mississippi, in Yancey County, a part of Black Mountain and a northern spur of the Blue Ridge. It is named for Elisha Mitchell, an American University professor of North Carolina who measured the peak in 1835 and discovered it was higher than Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, until then thought to be the highest.

There is much to learn about our wonderful and talented American forefathers. Samuel Augustus Mitchell was such a man: a teacher and a writer, publisher of geographies. Born at Bristol, Bonn. Mar. 20, 1792, he died at Philadelphia Dec. 18, 1868.